Sins Of The Brother
by The Little Ninja
Summary: Ravenna Nokomis knew her brother Rowan was going to pay dearly for winning against the big red monster in Hell in a Cell. But neither of them dreamed that Kane would get revenge by hitting so close to home...
1. Foreword

**Important Update!**

Hello once again, my friends! I know I've changed this story about three times now, but the more that I kept looking at it, the more that I hated how it was looking. To me, it just appeared like a generic 'Kane/OC' story and no matter what I wrote, I couldn't shake the feeling that it just wasn't going as I'd planned. As I've said before, you all deserve to read only my **best **writing. To be frank, that wasn't one of my best writings ever. But then again, writing a story revolving around wrestling is definitely out of my element as I have always preferred writing stories about horror movies. So what was I to do in that situation?

For one, I watched _See No Evil _and fangasmed like there was no tomorrow over how badass Kane was in that movie (Yes, he's a badass, mask or not. Mask or not, chicks **dig **him. Seriously.). Then an idea finally hit me; remembering the storyline with Lita (Best storyline involving Kane hands down.), I thought about going back to my original idea for the story, which was his obsessing over something. But not just over a girl, oh no. Kane wouldn't be Kane if he wasn't looking for blood. And yes, stealing Tobin Bell's line here, there will be blood in this story.

That being said, I've made the decision to incorporate the horror elements from _See No Evil_ into this story to give it that dark feel that I'm looking for, but instead of him murdering people, Kane's just going to be kicking ass like he always does. Now please bear in mind that this is a fanfiction that's somewhat out of my comfort zone; I've never written a wrestling story and may not again depending on how this story plays out. I promise that this is the final time that this story will be revised and I sincerely apologize to those who have read the story and are suddenly seeing it change. I do, however, hope that this will attract more readers and that others will develop an attachment to my two newest characters; Rowan and Ravenna Nokomis.

Without further ado, I present to you _Sins of the Brother_, my very first wrestling fanfiction!


	2. Hell In A Cell

**Disclaimer**- I do not own anything affiliated with WWE, however, Rowan and Ravenna Nokomis belong to me. Please do not use them in art or other writings without contacting me first.

* * *

_**Monday Night Raw**_

_What the hell was I thinking_, Rowan Nokomis couldn't help but think as he kicked out of a pin by The Miz. _Of all the matches in the world and I get pushed into a __Fatal Four-Way/Hell in a Cell match. _He almost wanted to find this Raw General Manager himself and beat some sense into them for concocting such a thing. All around him, fans from every corner of the United States were cheering and screaming wildly. Millions more were watching this match at home, no doubt drinking and eating some form of junk food. No one would miss this for the **world**.

Despite all the eyes that were on him as Rowan literally fought for his life, he was acutely aware of only one pair that looked up at him through the cage surrounding the ring- the dark eyes of his twin sister Ravenna. Rowan spared a glance to her and grinned as he quickly countered a DDT from Rhodes. Ravenna's brow furrowed for a moment at seeing this happen, but otherwise gave Rowan a smile in return as she paced outside the cage, rearranging the length of black cloth that hid the left side of her face, with the exception of her eye, from the world nervously. Rowan knew if she had her way, Ravenna would be in there with him, helping to defend his title against 3 men who were eagerly hopeful for the opportunity to be crowned World Champion; the Miz, Cody Rhodes, and the big red monster Kane._ Maybe later, little sis, _Rowan thought, throwing The Miz into the ropes and taking him out with a clothesline while Cody engaged Kane.

He inwardly laughed at that thought. _Little sister? _That was true, in a sense. But despite being born four minutes before Ravenna, people liked to think that Rowan was the younger sibling. But the differences in their personalities made others think that they were in no way related. Rowan was outgoing, charming, and too friendly for his own good. He always had a smile on his face and had made quite a few friends with the divas and male superstars alike. Rowan enjoyed giving audience members high fives, always greeting people as though he had known them all his life. Ravenna, on the other hand, was the complete opposite. Where Rowan was kind to all, Ravenna treated everyone with cool curtsey. She rarely spoke to anyone outside the ring and when she did it was only when she was a tag team partner. Rowan also noticed that Ravenna didn't seem to have very many friends, if you could even call them that. The only people that Ravenna spoke to, besides him, was Jazz and sometimes Lita. How she could stand Lita was a mystery to him. But Ravenna seemed to like her and they got along well, possibly because they both liked rock music. Jazz, however, was more of an older sister to Ravenna than anything; she had had the kindness to take the young Diva under her wing and show her the ins and outs of the ring. Rowan had no idea what they had in common, but Ravenna seemed to genuinely care about the older Diva, so he never said anything about it.

Rowan was suddenly snapped out of his thoughts after observing Cody be knocked out cold by Kane. He thought the big red monster would go for the cover, but when both men caught each other's stares, Rowan knew that Kane had other ideas. He glanced to Ravenna to see her look of pride for him turn into one of worry. Ravenna looked from him to Kane, almost to ask if there was some mistake in this change of events. Her dark eyes suddenly widened as she glanced behind him at the ominous figure behind her twin.

'Rowan, look out!" she called. Rowan turned, but was too late to move as he was grabbed by his throat. An equally strong hand grabbed hold of a thick wrist in an attempt to pry it off. Dark brown met a pale blue and dark hazel set of orbs as a sadistic grin came to Kane's face. Ravenna, on the other hand, was trying her best to get into the cage, clearly distressed at the turn of events. Honestly now, what the hell was the Raw General Manager thinking putting Kane and Rowan in a Hell in a Cell match? Didn't they learn from the last time Kane and Rowan met like this that it was a bad idea? She glanced up at Kane, and a chill went down her spine at the look on his face. Ravenna grabbed hold of the cage door, shaking it as though it would open that way, but it wouldn't have anyways. One of the referees had padlocked it shut to ensure no one could get in or out.

As she watched her brother helplessly, Ravenna's mind began to wander back to the conversation between herself and Rowan mere moments before she accompanied him out to the ring...

_'You know, you could talk about it," Ravenna murmured as they walked along the white hallway. Rowan had been silent since they came to the arena. Her twin glanced at her for several long moments and grabbed her arm to stop her. _

_'Ravenna, has anyone... been bothering you as of late?" Rowan asked when Ravenna finally stopped. She must have had a strange look on her face when her brother sighed. 'I mean, besides fans, have you noticed anyone following you? Anyone that you've never seen before?" Ravenna shook her head. _

_'No," she answered honestly. 'Why?" Rowan hesitated. Ravenna sighed impatiently. Rowan wasn't the first person to have asked her this; first it was just Victoria who had tried to get her to share a room with her. Eve, who never spoke to Ravenna except to taunt her mercilessly, now tried to engage her in conversation. And Trish, who was bitchy to everyone, suddenly gave her a smile every now and then. Even the guys were acting weird- The Miz before wanted nothing to do with her, but now he was always insisting on walking her to her dressing room and locker. Val Venis sometimes stopped by to check on her if she didn't come out of her room for awhile, and even more recently, Jeff Hardy was offering to give her a ride to and from the arena every night. Now it was her brother that was acting strange._

_'Rowan, what's wrong?" she asked. Again, that same hesitation festered in her twin's eyes as he looked away. When he refused to meet her gaze, Ravenna _almost_ lost it. 'For the love of Christ, what is wrong with everyone nowadays? You're acting like you know something I don't. Don't get me wrong, it was nice actually having someone talk to me without freaking out about me kicking their ass, but now it's gone too far. Now tell me what the hell-"_

_'I want you to stay out of and away the ring for a few nights, Ravenna." Rowan interrupted. Ravenna stared at him in disbelief. _

_'What?" Rowan looked away again and then back into his sister's dark eyes. _

_'Do you remember that match I had with Kane last week?" Ravenna nodded, motioning for Rowan to get to the point. 'He wasn't too happy that he lost against me, and since then, there's been rumors floating around that he's looking to get revenge tonight. I didn't want to think anything else of it, but then I found this under my door," Rowan finished, handing Ravenna a folded piece of paper that he seemed to have produced from thin air. Ravenna looked to the paper and then to her brother's face, one of her eyebrows arched. _

_'I got to say Rowan, I never thought I would see the day that you would freak out over a piece of paper." Ravenna commented, plucking the paper out of Rowan's grasp and looking it over critically. _

_'It's not the paper that's got me worried Ravenna. It's what's written on it that's bothering me." Dark brown met dark brown in that instant. Curious, Ravenna broke her stare and opened the neatly folded paper. Sure enough, someone had left a message seemingly directed at Rowan:_

You should never have stepped into the ring last Monday. Now your sister is going to pay the price.

_Ravenna looked from Rowan to the note, refusing to show the uneasiness filling her gut. It wasn't the words that made her such, however, but it was the familiarity of the handwriting itself. She _knew_ this style of writing for somewhere, but from where? Surely it couldn't be from... Rowan reached out and touched her arm, sensing something wrong with his twin. _

_'Ravenna, listen to me: don't come out to the ring. Just stay away from here until all of this blows over. I don't want anything to happen to you." Rowan murmured. Ravenna shook her head, blue black hair swinging behind her and a couple stubborn strands sticking to the bit of black material on the left side of her face. _

_'I'm not going anywhere, Rowan. I'm not going to let a little note freak me out. And I can handle myself just fine in and out of the ring. I don't need anyone to protect me." Ravenna grumbled stubbornly. Rowan closed his eyes and shook his head. _

_'I was afraid you would say that," he began. 'But alright. If you're serious about this, then I'm not going to argue with you about it." Rowan finished as they both fell into step again. Ravenna gave him another look and sighed. _

_'We never argue," she began. 'At least we didn't before you got paranoid."_

Time seemed to move in slow motion as Ravenna watched Kane chokeslam Rowan over the ropes and onto the hard concrete of the floor. Rowan hit the side of the cage as he fell, Ravenna running to his side the moment he hit the ground.

'Get up, Rowan!" she urged, watching Kane climb over the ropes and rummage around underneath the ring for something. 'Rowan! Get up! Now!" Rowan only groaned in protest, shaking the fog from around his mind as Kane found what he was looking for and set his sights on the fallen Nokomis.


	3. Wins And Ill Tidings

**Author's Note- **Well, I wish I could have updated sooner like I'd planned, but unfortunately over the weekend I lost my guinea pig to old age. Some of you whom are friends with me on Facebook and deviantART remember him and left good wishes for me. I cannot name all of you, but I also cannot thank you enough for being with me during that time. Freddy will be missed and never forgotten (I'm making a tribute video for Freddy and will be posting it on YouTube and Facebook soon. Right now I just need some time off...) R.I.P. My sweet Freddy.

On a lighter note, for those wondering, I am using elements from the original version of this story again to give it some more depth and explaining the relationships between each character. While I'm not a fan of pairings, but I think that a few might develop over time. I want to point out, however, that I will not be putting anything in this story that I do not see any wrestler saying or doing. For instance, I'm not gonna put poor Randy Orton running around in a polka dot bikini. Funny as it may be, I don't think it would ever happen.

Please don't forget to review and many thanks to those who have favorited the story! ^_^ ONWARDS WITH THE STORY!

* * *

Ravenna glanced from her fallen brother to the fast approaching Kane, urging Rowan to get to his feet quickly by slipping her small hand through the cage and violently nudging his hard shoulder. Rowan groaned again as he managed to get up on all fours, then forcing himself onto his feet at Ravenna's urging. _Perfect timing, _Ravenna thought to herself as Rowan turned and narrowly dodged the steel chair in the hands of the big red monster. She winced at how close that was. In the hands of Kane, chairs may as well be weapons of mass destruction.

From her kneeling position, Ravenna could hear Kane's angry breathing drowning out the screaming fans behind her. Rowan had managed to get back into the ring, still trying to recover quickly from the chokeslam he'd received moments before. Ravenna herself got to her feet, clutching the warm metal of the cage in both hands and watching on as Rowan simply laid on his belly breathing heavily.

'Get up, Rowan!" Ravenna shouted, suddenly regretting having spoken as Kane's misallied eyes suddenly came to rest on her small frame. Her darker eyes looked into his, her breath suddenly caught up in her throat. The piercing left eye seemed to almost glow with anger, but slowly she watched it turn into something else as Kane suddenly turned away from her. Shivers ran down Ravenna's spine as she watched him climb into the ring, not quite sure what those shivers really were- fear perhaps? No, not fear, Ravenna quickly deduced. There wasn't any room for fear within her... was there?

She was quickly snapped from her thoughts as she watched Kane pick Rowan up with ease in one hand, looking from her twin brother and back to Ravenna, almost to observe her reaction. Damn it to hell, Ravenna gripped the cage's wall tighter in her grasp as she watched helplessly as her brother was once again chokeslammed. _Get up Rowan! Please get up, _Ravenna silently urged, her brother's stronger form lying motionless on the mat of the ring. Not wasting any time, Kane went for the cover.

One...

Two..

In the nick of time, Rowan somehow found the strength to kick out at two and a half. Kane sat up in frustration, getting to his feet and looking back down at Ravenna, almost as if she had something to do with it. Ravenna stared back at him and then glanced behind him to see Rowan getting to his feet. Ravenna suddenly had an idea as she once again met Kane's gaze. Behind Kane, Rowan was finally standing to his full height, the dark eyes he shared with Ravenna obscured by equally dark hair. Kane's back was turned to him, but for how long he would stay that way was completely dependent on what she did next. _If I can just keep his attention long enough... _

Seemingly from nowhere, Cody Rhodes cut between both Ravenna and Kane, immediately getting Kane's attention for a moment as Rhodes yelled something about him being a monster...

But that moment was all Rowan needed as he went running towards the big red monster and slipping underneath the massive frame before standing up. Taking on 323 pounds was a feat in itself, but Rowan took no chances as he dropped to his knees to perform a move he shared with his twin- The Nevermore. Kane fell to the mat soon after Rowan rolled away without a sound, effectively knocked out. Now it was Rowan's turn to go for the cover. Ravenna held her breath as the count began.

One...

Two...

Three! It was over! The bell rang and Rowan excitedly got to his feet as the crowds cheered wildly. Ravenna grinned proudly at her brother as a ref came round to unlock the cage to let out Rowan and the now conscious Rhodes and Miz. Rowan scooped his twin sister into his arms as his theme song, Set The World On Fire from Black Veil Brides, blared on the huge speakers overhead. Both of them laughing, Rowan and Ravenna grinned at each other as the ring announcer suddenly spoke.

'Here is your winner, the new World Heavyweight Champion, Rowan Nokomis!" At the sound of his name, fans everywhere screamed louder in gleeful harmony as Rowan was presented with the World Championship belt. The moment it passed from the referee's hands and into his own was a surreal moment for the older twin. Not only had he just won one of the most dangerous matches, he'd also won his very first World Championship. It was like a dream.

'You did it," Ravenna yelled over the roaring crowd and music, following her brother up the entrance ramp. Rowan smiled once again.

'Not without a little luck from my favorite sister," Rowan teased, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and kissing her forehead.

'You mean your _only _sister," Ravenna replied, sparing a glance back to the ring. All the happiness she had just felt quickly disintegrated as she stared back at the angry form of Kane. _He's already back up after the Nevermore? Is that even possible,_ Ravenna thought. Even from where she was standing, Ravenna could clearly see a look of absolute hate and anger brewing in those mismatched eyes of Kane's. Looking away quickly before she attracted the attention of her brother, Ravenna shook her head and continued down the hall to their locker room, unable to shake the feeling deep in her gut and the thought in her head that no good could possibly come out of this.

* * *

The light were bright and damn near blinding when Ravenna finally stepped into the ring an hour later, dodging a punch from Kelly Kelly. Ravenna countered with an uppercut, hitting the blonde square in the mouth. Kelly staggered for a moment, then fell to her knees. Ravenna took this opportunity to run towards the ropes before bouncing off of them and drop kicking Kelly right in the face, grinning maliciously at the sound of her head connecting with the ebony haired Diva's boot. Just as she predicted, Kelly fell sideways, giving Ravenna a chance to go for the cover. The second she hooked Kelly's leg, the ref hit the mat and started the count.

One...

Two...

Somehow, Kelly managed to get either her shoulders up or kick out of the hold. Ravenna was too pissed off to remember exactly which.

'Bad move, Kelly," Ravenna growled at the blonde, pulling her up and backing off to one corner and climbing to the top rope. Balancing her weight carefully, Ravenna watched Kelly stagger into just the right spot before launching herself into the air. She started out in the fetal position before stretching herself out to land a vicious kick to Kelly right in the head- the Widowmaker. Despite knocking Kelly out cold, Ravenna must have miscalculated the space available for her landing. A shooting pain in her right leg took her by complete surprise. Whether she hit the turnbuckle or the steel pole, Ravenna had no way of knowing for certain. Grimacing in pain, Ravenna ignored the pain and drug herself to Kelly's fallen form to once again pin the blonde.

One...

Two...

Three. _Finally_, Ravenna thought as she released her hold on Kelly and rolled to the side, one hand clad in a black arm warmer reaching for her injured knee. She sat up and carefully felt it through her pants, assessing the damage. More than likely, she just bumped it, but she wouldn't know for certain until later.

She didn't register exactly when the fire from the stage suddenly erupted, nor when the lights went red all around her. It wasn't until Ravenna noticed that she was alone in the and Kelly was hauling ass through the crowds (how she was moving around after being knocked out was a mystery to Ravenna) that she turned to see a familiar figure coming to the ring with a smirk on his face.

_Kane!_

_What does he want now, _Ravenna thought as she pulled herself up to her feet. Instantly, her knee gave out beneath Ravenna followed by a burning sensation. _Looks like I won't be walking right for awhile, _she mused, wincing at the thumping pain. Backing up and away from the center of the ring as best as she was able, Ravenna watched as Kane made his way to the ring. She made a move to roll out, but quickly banished such an idea from her mind. Even if she did manage to get out, there was no way Ravenna could walk out of the arena without aid or injuring herself further. _Kane picked a damn good time to come out here,_ Ravenna decided with sarcasm as Kane pulled himself up and over the top rope with ease, staring down at her with a strange expression that Ravenna could not name even if she tried.

The seven foot man walked closer and closer to her until Kane was just inches away from Ravenna, close enough that she could have reached out and touched him provided she wanted to. The almost black orbs of Ravenna's stared up into the misallied eyes of Kane, taking in the obvious differences in size. She never broke her gaze from him even as the big red monster crouched down so that his was on Ravenna's current eye level. The air between them seemed to freeze as the staring continued.

When someone finally moved it was Kane, for Ravenna felt cemented to where she sat in the corner. Ravenna finally broke her stare from Kane to see that he had extended a hand to her. She glanced from his larger hand and back to Kane's face as though to ask what this was about. A touch that sent jolts of electricity through her body to her injured knee caused Ravenna to shiver reflexively. Kane blinked in surprise, anger flashing in those piercing orbs of his for a brief moment until he realized that it was involuntary on Ravenna's part. _He knows that I'm hurt, _Ravenna suddenly realized as she watched Kane's gaze turn to her knee, that strong hand of his turning her leg this way and that carefully, inspecting it.

The more she was subject to this, the more Ravenna began to relax as she realized that Kane was not intentionally trying to hurt her. But she was careful not to let her guard down too much; she knew that all of this could turn violent in a matter of seconds if he got pissed... But no such thing occurred as Kane finally released his hold on her leg, uninterested. That gaze of his finally made its way to Ravenna's face again and extended his hand once more to her. Her heart racing and still feeling the effects of his touch, Ravenna hesitantly reached to take his hand...

She'd just touched the black leather of his glove covering his left hand before Ravenna was jerked backwards unexpectedly through the bottom ropes and into the arms of another, her hand slipping away from Kane's. Ravenna twisted her head to see who was taking it upon themselves to 'rescue' her. Cody Rhodes was looking down at her in concern as he quickly backed away from the ring with Ravenna in tow. He shifted her weight to hold her more closely before heading towards the entrance ramp. When he did this, Ravenna was able to glance over his shoulder to see Kane staring after them, the same look he had given Rowan earlier that night now being directed at Cody. She blinked her eyes slowly and looked away, the same feeling she'd had just two hours earlier back in full force.

_Nothing good was going to come out of this..._

* * *

The rain's mist was warm and refreshing despite the downpour outside as Ravenna leaned against the balcony railing at the hotel room she shared with Rowan. Inside, he was sound asleep having always found rain relaxing. He earned that rest. Ravenna, on the other hand, felt wide awake despite knowing that she needed to get some rest; after medical staff had checked out her knee, Ravenna learned that she hadn't torn her ACL as she had feared, but had only bruised her knee. Exhaustion was the one of the reasons she couldn't stand, pain being the other. She also learned that she had a tag team match with Jazz against Molly Holly and Gail Kim. It didn't bother her that she was teaming with Jazz.

Her cellphone suddenly rang, effectively pulling Ravenna out of her vigilant stare of the landscape suddenly. _Speak of the devil, _she thought as Ravenna flipped the top of her phone and held it to her ear. 'Hello?"

'Hey girl!" Jazz's cheerful voice said. 'I heard what happened out there in the ring tonight. That knee of yours doing ok?"

'It's just fine, thanks for asking," Ravenna replied. 'The medical staff told me that I should give it a couple days to heal up, but I'll live to bump it on a turnbuckle another day."

'You wouldn't have that issue if you didn't pull all those crazy high flyin' acts of yours," Jazz answered. 'You're a pro wrestler, not a circus girl! That could have ended much worse..." Ravenna could practically hear Jazz shiver on the other line. 'So anyways, I was wondering- how would you feel about ditching Rowan for a couple hours and meeting me in the lobby? I just found a great restaurant that has our names all over it!" Ravenna ignored the comment about Rowan and laughed a bit.

'Sounds pretty good. I haven't had anything to eat since before Raw," Ravenna agreed, her stomach rumbling approval. 'I'm going to jump in the shower first before I go anywhere."

'Sounds like a plan, Rave," Jazz answered. 'I need a shower myself. I'll see you in a little."

'Right. Bye," Ravenna murmured as she flipped the phone closed. 'Rave? Seriously?" She shook her head and opened the sliding door to the hotel room. The cool air from the air conditioner was a shock to her warm skin. Honestly, how could Rowan sleep with it so cold in here? Cracking her neck, Ravenna tossed her phone on her still made bed and made her way to the shower, trying her best not to limp.

Twenty minutes later, she was dressed in her favorite black jeans and tank-top with a black leather jacket. Brushing her hair out, Ravenna thought she would just let it fall free since there was no point in pulling it back if the humidity was only going to frizz it out. She spread some kohl eyeliner and shadow across her eyelids and a touch of red lip color before writing a quick note to Rowan in case he woke up:

_Went to dinner with Jazz. Be back later_

_Ravenna_

With a last look at her brother's still sleeping form, Ravenna slipped back into her boots and grabbed her messenger bag before slipping out into the hallway being sure to close the door quietly.

* * *

'If you thought any louder, I'd be able to hear you," Jazz commented with a laugh as she twisted a rusty brown curl around one finger. 'Everything alright over there? You look like you've seen better days." Ravenna managed a rare smile, however weak, for the older Diva.

'Is that right?" she murmured, taking a sip of Coke as Jazz laughed quietly.

'Well, it's pretty hard to tell what you're thinking since no sounds ever come out of you, but I think I've gotten the hang of figuring out when something's on your mind." Ravenna rolled her eyes and laughed a bit.

'However can you do that?" Ravenna joked causing a great bout of giggling from Jazz. The darker skinned Diva twisted some noodles onto her silver fork and popped it into her mouth before giving Ravenna a knowing look.

'Well for one, you stare into space when you're thinking. And then you get a weird look in your eyes, like you're contemplating killing the next thing that walks right in front of you." Ravenna had to admit that she was a little stunned.

'You're good," she replied. 'Anything else?" Jazz paused from talking to take another drink. A deft shake of her head informed Ravenna that Jazz either couldn't think of a comeback or just wasn't interested in the topic anymore.

'You've not been acting like yourself since what happened back in the ring tonight too," Jazz added unexpectedly. Ravenna glanced up from her plate.

'That obvious, huh?" she murmured, setting down her fork and crossing her arms on the table. Manners be damned, she put her elbows up there too. Jazz could tell the matter was clearly disturbing the young Diva by her body language alone. Comfortingly, she put a hand on one of Ravenna's.

'Wanna talk about it?" she asked in a soft voice. Ravenna's dark eyes blinked slowly as they slid to the left before wandering back up into Jazz's equally dark eyes.

'Jazz, if I tell you this, can I trust that word won't get back to Rowan?" Jazz nodded which Ravenna soon mimicked. 'Before his match, Rowan showed me a note that someone had left under our door a couple hours before he went on. I don't know who wrote it, but it freaked him out pretty bad. So much that he must've told some of the other Superstars and Diva's about it because some are starting to act a little stranger than usual. For instance, Val Venis actually comes by my room and asks me how I'm doing and even Eve is trying to talk to me. I mean, since when has she ever done that to anyone?"

'I've talked to Eve sometimes," Jazz added quietly, indicating for Ravenna to go on.

'That's not the half of it. Trash Stratus is actually talking too, and not her usual bitchery either." Jazz almost spit her drink up at this.

'She's actually _talking _instead of bitching? Damn, something's definitely up if that blonde bitch is being nice to you."

'My point exactly. Rowan should have known that people would be quick to talk and judge what was going on, but him being him..." Ravenna's voice faded off for a minute, thinking that she had caught a glimpse of someone observing Jazz and her for a moment, but shook it off after Jazz gave her a questioning stare. 'But anyways, Rowan thinks that Kane was one that left the note after what happened last week when Rowan won a match against him. Personally I just think that it was just someone trying to intimidate him and Rowan's getting paranoid about nothing. All it said was 'You should never have stepped into the ring. Now your sister will pay the price.' There's no proof that Kane wrote it anyways..."

'That's true; there's no proof that Kane was the one that wrote it," Jazz pointed out. 'But take into consideration what happened tonight, sweetie. Say that he was the one that left that note. And say that tonight was just the beginning and Kane was just getting it across to Rowan that shit's about to get real?" Ravenna toyed with her Fettuccine Alfredo and then took a big bite, refusing to let Jazz know how much her words were making her think.

'As much as I hate to admit it, he's probably going to do something. The last two times I was out there, he looked like he was ready to kill Rowan _and _Cody." Ravenna added, taking Jazz by surprise.

'No way," Ravenna nodded. 'It's starting to look like people are forgetting that he's more than a sore loser; Kane's a fucking monster, for Christ's sake!"

'Monster?" She said, merely humoring Jazz. 'Is that what they're calling men over seven feet tall that like to Tombstone and chokeslam other guys for the entertainment of thousands?" Jazz shook her head and put both of her hands over Ravenna's.

'You're missing my point, Rave," Jazz explained. 'What you saw tonight was just a taste of what Kane is capable of. Have you even heard the stories?" Ravenna cocked a dark eyebrow at the woman sitting across the table from her. Jazz sighed and threw her hands in the air.

'Lord have mercy, girl! This is why it pays to actually talk to people every now and then!" she exclaimed before continuing in a softer voice. 'Alright, I don't know how much of this is actually true. Way back before you came onto the scene, the Undertaker's father Paul Bearer showed up randomly with Kane, who turned out being Undertaker's half brother. Word has it that the Undertaker's family died in a fire, but Kane somehow survived. Paul hid him in an insane asylum for half his life after the accident.

'For the longest time, Kane wore a mask. Apparently his face was burned in the fire and he couldn't stand to look at himself. That or someone made him put it on and he just got used to it. Whatever the reason, he ended up taking it off and... well, you saw for yourself what he looks like underneath it. But here's what's weird; no one ever sees Kane outside the ring. During the rest of the week that the rest of us have off, he's nowhere to be seen. Some say that he's a killer, others say that he's just a sick psychopath that gets off on seeing people suffer. Personally, I think he's both.

'That's why everyone's worried about you, Ravenna. We've been around Kane for longer than you and Rowan have. We've seen what he can do and we've seen how dangerous he is." Jazz finished. Ravenna stared at her for the longest time, letting her words sink in. _Psychopath? Monster? This all sounds like something straight from a horror film,_ she thought.

'Jazz," Ravenna started. 'I appreciate the concern, but honestly, I can handle myself. But remember; we don't know for _sure _that Kane was the one that wrote the note. Like I said, it could just be someone-"

'Ravenna what part of what I just said did you not hear? Think about it; your brother is one of the nicest guys in and out of the ring. He even makes sure that the people he beats are OK before he even leaves the ring at the end of a match. Why in the world would anyone want to intimidate him? Not even Big Show would raise a hand against your brother except in a match. That just leaves Kane!" Jazz was only trying to get her point across to Ravenna when she raised her voice slightly. The younger of the two instantly grew quiet and began staring at Jazz in an odd way. A way that sent chills down Jazz's spine and caused fear to well in her gut. 'Do you see my point, Ravenna? This isn't just anyone we're talking about. This is a sick son of a bitch that likes suffering, day in and day out." she added in a softer voice. That look in Ravenna's eyes faded bit by bit, and Jazz couldn't help but feel like she'd just narrowly avoided an ass kicking by Ravenna.

Both women fell into silence as they finished their dinners, the chattering and laughs from other patrons a welcome distraction for Jazz and an annoyance to Ravenna as she answered a few texts from some of Rowan's friends.

'You know, if things get bad with Kane, you're more than welcome to crash at my place Ravenna. I'm sure Rowan would want you to be somewhere safe for awhile." Jazz suddenly said. Ravenna glanced up to her from her phone. She nodded.

'I'll keep that in mind," Ravenna said quietly, looking back at her phone. Jazz felt a little guilty for raising her voice to Ravenna, especially since it always brought back painful memories for her. Jazz remembered the time that Ravenna talked about what happened with her father after some questioning about the veil that Ravenna never took off of her face. But she knew better than to bring it up; talking about Ravenna's face and father were two topics you were better off not bringing up. Unless you had a death wish, anyways.

Another small bout of silence fell amongst the women as Ravenna answered a new text from Isabella, her older brother and UFC fighter Vincent's wife, that was informing her that Vincent had won his match that night. Ravenna answered back with her congratulations, letting her know that she and Rowan had also won their matches that night and mentioning the fact that all of them needed to see each again soon. The she noticed that it was getting pretty late at night. It was hard to believe that it was already almost one in the morning. Flipping the phone closed, Ravenna shoved it into her messenger bag and brushed her hair out of her face.

'I hate to run Jazz, but I better get back to the hotel. I need to get some sleep anyways." Ravenna said as she stood and left her half of the bill.

'Sure you don't want me to come with you? Just to make sure no one bothers you?" Jazz asked with a concerned look in her eyes. Ravenna shook her head.

'No thanks. I can handle myself. Look, I'll send you a text when I get there, ok?" Ravenna promised as Jazz stood to hug the younger girl goodbye.

'Watch your back, sweetie," Jazz whispered. 'And remember what I said about Kane, ok? Stay out his way."

'Thanks Jazz," Ravenna answered, picking up her bag and heading for the door. The rain had nearly stopped by the time she had opened the door and stepped out. Just as she had predicted, Ravenna's hair was frizzy and everywhere. _Oh well, _Ravenna thought as she inspected a strand of hair carefully. _Need to trim my dead ends anyways. _Tossing the strand behind her, Ravenna wrapped her jacket around her more fully and commenced the fifteen minute walk back to the hotel.


	4. Missing

**Author's Note- **So this is probably the first time I'm actually able to get on the internet without it cutting in and out on me all the time. It likes to love me some days, then it loves to give me the ole F-U! Treatment sometimes. XD But at least I'm keeping the action going right? ^_^

Once again, many thanks to those that have favorited the story. Please keep them coming and don't forget to R&R! =)

* * *

Morning came harsher than Rowan would've liked. The bright rays of the sun poured through the glass door of the balcony, no longer obscured by the tan curtains...

_Wait, what? _Rowan thought, lifting his sleepy head and brushing his black hair out and away from his face. Sure enough, they were open. He rubbed his eyes a few times to clear the sleep from them, his body sore and stiff. As it was something to expect when one signed up to become a professional wrestler, Rowan shook it off. Nothing that a nice hot shower couldn't help fix.

Rowan spared a glance over to the second queen bed in the room that belonged to Ravenna for the remainder of their stay. His twin had a habit of sleeping in any chance that she got and would sleep so deeply that a bomb could go off and not wake her up. Rowan on the other hand could wake up at the sound of a pin drop and not fall back to sleep for hours. He sometimes wondered if twin genetics had a sense of humor sometimes.

And so it both surprised and shocked Rowan when he noticed that her bed was empty.

He quickly climbed out of bed, throwing the covers off and away from him. It was still made as though Ravenna had never been there at all. Knowing Ravenna, if she had even been there that night, she would have closed the curtains before bed. She couldn't have left already either; her black duffel bag contained her wrestling attire and everyday clothes was still at the foot of her bed where she had left it. Her messenger bag, however, was no where to be seen.

_Could she have gone out and stayed with someone_, Rowan wondered, his dark eyes resting on a note in Ravenna's familiar handwriting near the phone. He reached out and picked it up.

'Went to dinner with Jazz. Be back later, huh?" Rowan read aloud, replacing the note to its original resting place. 'If you were coming back later, then where the hell are you Ravenna?" Rowan grumbled. The note should have reassured Rowan in the knowledge that she was with Jazz more than likely. But the sense of dread that was building in his gut was saying otherwise. Deciding it wouldn't hurt to call her just to be sure, Rowan made his way towards the nightstand situated between both beds and picked up his black cell phone. He punched in Ravenna's number and held it up to his ear.

'We're sorry. The number you have dialed is not in the service area." the automated voice on the other line said. Rowan's brow furrowed as he hung up. _Not in the service area_? He tried once again and again. Each time, he got the same message. _I don't like where this is going, _Rowan pondered, chewing his lip (He cursed how easily Ravenna impressed the nervous habit onto him.). Not wasting another minute, Rowan quickly scrolled through his contacts and found Jazz's number. Impatiently, he started pacing back and forth until the Diva's familiar voice finally answered.

'Jazz, is Ravenna in your room?" he asked, ignoring her cheery 'good morning'. Jazz grew quiet suddenly.

'She's not there?" she asked.

'She's _not_ here," he managed to say. 'I've been trying to get in touch with her all morning, but she's not "in the service area" according to her phone."

'I'm sorry Rowan, but I haven't seen her since last night at dinner." Rowan's heart dropped when he heard this.'This isn't like her, Rowan. Ravenna may like to go off on her own sometimes, but not without letting you or myself know where she is." Jazz continued. 'Unless..."

'Unless what?" Rowan pleaded, unable to contain his worry anymore. He was silently praying the older Diva knew something that would lead him to Ravenna. Jazz hesitated. 'What's going on, Jazz? Did she tell you she was leaving last night?"

'Rowan, I promised Ravenna I wouldn't say anything, but given the circumstances it's looking like I have no choice. She told me last night that after you won your match, she looked back and saw Kane looking at you like he was ready to kill. He did the same thing to Cody when he carried her out of the ring."

'I know about that," Rowan said impatiently. 'He mentioned something about her getting quieter than usual after that."

'I think he has something to do with this, Rowan."

'Who, Cody?"

'No. Kane." All color drained from Rowan's face as his mind wandered back to the note he had found last night. _Now your sister will pay the price_... 'I don't want to point fingers, but more than likely he has a hand in this. You've beat him twice, and the second time you took what he wants: the World Heavyweight Championship belt. Ravenna was out there both times that you won and it's no secret that you and her are close." Jazz explained in a steady voice. Rowan's mind was in a whir as he tried to make sense of everything, trying to find another explanation for it. But the more that he processed Jazz's words, the more sense that they made. On the other hand, it wouldn't do to accuse anyone without good reason.

'We don't have any proof that he's got something to do with this," Rowan said after a moment. 'It's true that it's not wine and roses with myself and Kane, but I don't want to confront him about it...yet. I'm going to wait and see if Ravenna turns up on her own." Jazz made a shocked sound on the other line.

'Are you _insane_? Rowan, she's your sister! She's missing and you're telling me that you're going to _wait_? Every minute you wait, the least likely you are of actually finding her-"

'Jazz, don't worry. I'm sure she'll turn up soon. I'll give you a call when she gets back," Rowan replied as he closed his phone, not giving Jazz a chance to reply. Despite how calm he may have sounded, inside Rowan was worrying himself to death. He didn't want to believe his own words about Ravenna returning later, but he also didn't want to think about what she would go through if she was with Kane. Rowan sat down on his bed and looked out the balcony doors as the rays of the bright morning sun warmed the landscape outside.

'Please come back, Ravenna." Rowan prayed. 'Please be safe, wherever you are."

* * *

Everything was cold and dark when Ravenna opened her eyes again, her vision blurry. She managed to sit up with a groan only to be assaulted instantly with a headache. _Where the hell am I,_ she wondered, realizing that she was not in her hotel room. All Ravenna could remember was walking back to the hotel, and then someone grabbing her from behind. She must have fought like hell judging from the cuts and bruises forming on her knuckles, before everything went dark... The room itself was close to empty; the only furniture she could see was a small nightstand to her right and a small twin bed that she had awoken in. There weren't any windows, just two doors leading to places that Ravenna wasn't sure she wanted to know where.

Looking down, Ravenna noticed that her jacket and messenger bag were gone. A quick touch to her face assured her that, at least, her face covering was still there to hide the scars...

'You're finally awake," a man's voice suddenly said from somewhere to the right. Ravenna whipped her head in that direction, but hand to brace her hands on the nightstand to keep from falling off the bed. 'I was beginning to think that you would be out for the rest of the day."

'Who are you? Where am I?" Ravenna demanded in an agitated voice. Waking up in a strange room was infuriating enough, but not remembering anything on top of that was another to piss her off for days. A laugh from the mysterious man was like throwing kerosene onto the fire.

'I think you know who I am," he finally replied, stepping out of the shadows. Ravenna had to squint her eyes to be certain, but even without light she could clearly recognize the figure standing there. _Paul Bearer,_ she thought with growing annoyance. _That little prick... _

'I thought I told you last week to back the hell off, Bearer," Ravenna growled with barely contained hostility. The older, portly man ignored the anger in the young woman's voice.

'Now that's no way to treat someone who sheltered you through the night," Bearer said in a mock hurt voice. 'Besides, don't you think you should thank me for my hospitality?"

'You can take you hospitality and shove it," Ravenna said, finding the strength to stand. When she was sure she could walk without falling, Ravenna made her way towards Bearer. Both stared at one another when Ravenna was close to what she assumed was the door leading out. 'But if it will make you shut up, then _thank you_." she spat out, opening the door and crossing the threshold. Sure enough, this was the door leading out, but there were also stairs to contend with. Her headache seemed to worsen at the sight, but Ravenna continued to ignore it as she took hold of the railing and forced herself to ascend.

All told, it should have taken her a few seconds, but the headache made the stairs seem to go on and on. She was **definitely** going to sleep this one off when she got back to the hotel room.

'Are you sure you should be moving around right now? You took a nasty hit to the back of your head after all," She heard Bearer say behind her. Ravenna almost jumped in surprise. She turned her head to him slowly as Ravenna reached the the top of the staircase.

'Why do you care?" she murmured, looking away from the pale man to take a look at her surroundings. A thick cushioned couch and loveseat were situated in front of a coffee table, and a few bookcases stood a few feet away. Ravenna guessed that this was the living room.

'It's chivalry, Ms. Nokomis," he mentioned as Bearer walked passed her. 'A true gentleman never leaves a beautiful woman alone at night." Ravenna rolled her dark eyes and followed him using the wall for support. She hoped that he would lead in the direction of the front door, but was disappointed to see that he was pouring a cup of coffee in the next room. Ravenna stopped and leaned against the nearby wall.

'Chivalry is _dead_, Bearer. No one even believes in it anymore." she brought up, breathing a little harder than usual. Just walking the ways that she did seemed to be sapping her strength. A touch to the back of her head confirmed Bearer's remark about last night; it was a bit tender and her hair was stuck in one small place as though she had been bleeding.

'On the contrary, it's still alive. Hanging on by a thread, but alive nonetheless." Bearer replied, handing Ravenna the coffee cup. Looking from him to the cup being offered to her suspiciously, Ravenna took it slowly.

'Hanging on by a thread, huh?" she mumbled as Bearer left the room again, this time returning with her jacket and messenger bag. Without thinking, she took a long swig of hot coffee. 'What exactly happened anyways that made you suddenly 'shelter me through the night' as you put it? And don't give me that 'I just happened to be in the area' excuse either." Bearer ignored the barb as he set Ravenna's bag and jacket on the nearby loveseat, considering how he should continue.

'Don't need to worry about that, Ms. Nokomis-"

'_Ravenna_," the ebony haired woman corrected. Bearer shrugged.

'Whatever you prefer. But I _wasn't _in the area. In fact, I wasn't the one that brought you here in the first place. Someone else did." Ravenna's suspicions kicked up a notch at this. 'From what I heard, you were walking alone in the rain when someone attacked you from behind. If you didn't notice already, the cuts on your hands are proof of that. (Ravenna glanced down at both hands holding the coffee cup at this.) Even though you were fighting, you were pushed and ended up banging your head against a wall hard enough to knock you out. And then he brought you here." Bearer finished.

'He?" Ravenna piped up.

'My son," he answered before adding with a smile, 'Kane." Ravenna froze in the act of taking another drink. Dark eyes that had previously been focused on the dark liquid in her hands suddenly snapped up to Bearer. _Kane is Paul Bearer's son? Seriously, _she thought as she observed the man before her. There weren't any resemblances that she could see outright, but then again, you didn't have to look _exactly _like someone to be related. But still...

'Kane?" she asked, slowly lowering the cup. Bearer nodded. _Why was he even in the area at the time _she wanted to ask. But this went unsaid as Ravenna quickly took a drink, refusing to let her surprise show through. If the older man before her noticed something new about the soft spoken Diva, he said nothing about it.

'By the way," Bearer suddenly said. 'You're Rowan Nokomis' sister, aren't you?" Ravenna shrugged.

'Who wants to know?"

'Just out of curiosity. I noticed you two spend a lot of time with one another." Ravenna rolled her eyes and shrugged again.

'I guess," she acquiesced. 'Don't have much of a choice when we travel together. But yes, he's my twin brother." Paul's eyebrows rose at this.

'Twins?" Ravenna nodded. 'I thought I saw a resemblance. Fraternal, I presume. Who was born first?"

'Rowan," she replied, suddenly stopping herself from saying anything more. 'Why are you so interested anyways?" The laugh that came from Paul moments later only made her suspicions about him grow.

'I'm only curious, Ravenna. There's no harm in wanting to know more about you, is there?" Ravenna slowly cocked her head at him with a serious look in her eyes.

'No harm in knowing more about me. Now that's something I've yet to hear from someone," Ravenna mumbled. 'I don't suppose you've ever heard what curiosity did to the cat."

'Killed it, of course."

'Then maybe you should keep that in mind when you go about asking things that are better left unanswered, _Bearer_," Ravenna finished calmly as she drank the last of her coffee. She hoped this would deter any more attempts on his part to make her say more than what she was used to, but Bearer clearly wasn't done with her yet.

'I could say the same for your brother," he mentioned as Ravenna set the now empty coffee mug on a dark stained side table. 'Maybe he should listen to you more. He might learn a thing or two." Ravenna shot him an angry look.

'_Maybe _we should keep my brother out of the conversation," she uttered in a low voice. She may be a woman, but Ravenna didn't have any qualms against taking on a man if she got mad enough. Ravenna only hoped that he got the message from her tone of voice alone. Once again, Bearer smiled that smug grin again.

'I'm only stating the facts, Ravenna. Your twin could get into some serious trouble if he's not careful. It'd be a shame if something was to happen to him, or _you._" Ravenna couldn't take anymore; without another word, she grabbed her jacket and bag. 'I must have hit a nerve," Paul noted with amusement. 'I assume you're ready to leave now?" Ravenna nodded. Both exchanged long looks before Bearer looked towards another threshold to the far left of the room.

'Right that way," he said in a cheery voice. 'But I'm not sure you'll get very far on foot." Ravenna glared at him as she pulled on her jacket and hoisted her messenger bag over her shoulder, not caring at this point what he thought.

'Keep it coming, Bearer," Ravenna remarked. 'Because the next time you and I see each other, I'm not going to be so _forthcoming _with you."

'I'm counting on it," he said as Ravenna walked past him. 'Just remember what I said about your brother. I'd hate to see you pay the price for his actions." Ravenna stopped in her tracks and glanced over her shoulder.

'What did you say?"

'I'd hate to see you pay the price for his sins. It should be Rowan to answer for what he's done, not his beautiful sister." Bearer repeated. Ravenna's eye twitched in annoyance before she looked away.

'Like I said, keep it coming." she called before adding under her breath. 'Next time, I swear to God, I'll rip his damn head off." With that promise, she made her way to the front door and walking out, making sure that she slammed it. A glance outside made Ravenna suddenly wish that she hadn't.

'You've got to be _kidding_ me," she groaned. Rain was coming down in sheets, and judging by the darkness of the sky, it wasn't going to end soon. Lightening shot across the sky angrily, completely throwing Ravenna's previous idea of walking back to the hotel out the window. And by the looks of things, she wasn't even in town anymore. Everywhere she looked, Ravenna was surrounded by trees. Only when she glanced into the distance did she see the faint shadows of Knoxville, Tennessee. _Too far of a walk for me, especially in the rain, _Ravenna noted with displeasure. The only way she was getting back to the hotel was if she got a ride Ravenna decided after noticing the black SUV parked in the driveway. Thinking on it, however, Ravenna wasn't really sure she could stand to sit in the same car with Bearer. But after weighing and reweighing her options, Ravenna determined that she didn't have a choice. She'd have to ask. Kicking herself on the inside, Ravenna took hold of the doorknob and went back inside.


	5. Homecoming

Bearer was looking like he had expected Ravenna to reappear at any moment when she came back inside. He had taken to sitting on the loveseat, clearly pretending to be reading the book that was in his lap.

'I wondered if you would ever come back inside," Paul began with another smile. 'I did say that you wouldn't be getting far walking, didn't I?" Ravenna watched him with anger brewing in those dark orbs. She really wanted to walk over and beat the hell out of him for having the audacity to even speak to her again, but Ravenna managed to curb it as she took a seat on the couch, crossing her arms across her chest. Bearer shrugged and looked back to his book, turning a page slowly.

'You might be in for a long wait, but I'm sure Kane wouldn't mind to give you a ride back when he wakes up if you're in a hurry." he continued conversationally. Ravenna never answered him as she opened her bag and took out her cell phone. She was quick to notice that it wasn't picking up a signal. 'Never could get good service with those out here. I've been wondering if they'll ever put a tower out here for us country people." She gritted her teeth and replaced her phone. _So much for that idea. _Sighing deeply, Ravenna reached back inside and pulled out a rather large novel containing her favorite horror stories. She opened her book to the place she'd marked with a cross stitch bookmark made by Samantha, her eldest brother Cole's wife, for her twentieth birthday. _Might as well find some way to pass the time. _

Ravenna finished what was left of Frankenstein and was just starting on Dracula when heavy footsteps signaled the entrance of another into the living room. Ravenna glanced up momentarily, and then looked right back up at the sight. There, still rubbing the sleep from his eyes, was the big red monster himself. She was suddenly glad that her blue black hair had fallen when it had so that he didn't notice her staring at him. But how could she _not _stare at him when he was standing just a few feet away from her...

'I was beginning to wonder when you'd finally get up." Bearer said, breaking the silence. Through the thick strands of her hair, Ravenna watched as Kane simply ignored him and walked towards the couch where Ravenna was sitting. Once again, the air around them felt electrified as he took a seat beside her. Ravenna quickly looked down at her book and tried to concentrate on the story as she became aware that Kane was looking at her now.

'Ravenna and I seem to have something in common," Paul noted, also looking at the ebony haired wrestler. 'She's hardly said a word since she started reading.

'She never talks from what I've seen," Kane mentioned in a tired voice. Ravenna blinked a couple times and moved her hair from her face, not used to being the center of attention. Bearer laughed a bit.

'Oh, she talks. She was quite talkative once she woke up." he said, closing his book and standing. 'I'll give you two some privacy. I'm sure she'll prefer talking to you over me." With those words, Ravenna listened to his fading footsteps until room became deathly silent except for the unfaltering racing of Ravenna's heart. Trying to conceal her the faint shaking of her hands, she turned the page of her book before Kane broke the silence again.

'So, did you sleep well?" He asked, sounding genuinely curious. Ravenna nodded her head, blue black hair once again falling over her shoulder. He made a small sound of approval before finally looking away from her. Ravenna stole a glance in his direction before looking back at her book. She wasn't entirely sure what to say to him given the present situation with Rowan. But then again, he had taken it upon himself to bring her somewhere safe instead of just leaving her to the mercy of her unknown attacker. Slowly, she marked her place and closed the book before looking at Kane. He was dressed in a black shirt and blue jeans, far more casual than she at the moment.

'If you don't mind me asking," Ravenna began, catching Kane's attention again. 'Why did you help me last night?" She thought it only fair to speak to him since he'd spoken to her. Kane didn't answer. Ravenna looked away and sat back against the fluffy cushions of the couch. This certainly wasn't what she had in mind for her morning.

'It didn't feel right," he suddenly said, snapping Ravenna out of her thoughts.

'What?" Ravenna asked as she looked back at him. Kane never met her gaze.

'It didn't feel right to just leave you there." he repeated. Ravenna glanced away slowly.

'Oh," she answered, looking down at her hands. Another long silence befell them as the rain outside continued to pour. Ravenna's thoughts wandered to her brother Rowan. What was he doing this morning? Was he concerned about her absence? More than likely he was. Rowan was terrible for worrying himself sick. She almost didn't want to fathom the idea of what he would do if he saw her in the same house with Paul Bearer _and _Kane.

'Bearer's your father, huh?" Ravenna said sometime later, trying to keep from being bored out of her mind. Once again, Kane nodded but never looked at her. She guessed he wasn't used to talking to people either. 'I'd have never guessed you were related."

'Speaking of family," Bearer said as he was passing by. 'Ravenna was telling me about her and Rowan being twins." Kane, who had previously been staring into space suddenly looked his way in interest.

'Twins?" He asked, looking at Ravenna, who was shooting daggers at Bearer with her eyes. If looks could kill, he would be long gone by now. _Keep talking Bearer, _Ravenna was screaming inside. _I swear to God if I ever catch you on your own, your ass is mine! _She conveniently forgot about Kane. Every muscle in Ravenna's body was tensing up, betraying how angry she was getting. _Right when I was calming down too. _Bearer must have seen this as he was getting ready to say something but wisely kept his mouth shut.

'I'd have never guessed you were related," Kane said, Ravenna's attention effectively drawn away from Bearer once again. He purposely used the same line Ravenna had moments earlier in almost the same tone of voice to see her reaction to such. Ravenna never batted an eye.

'I get that a lot," Ravenna said curtly. 'We've got close to nothing in common except for career choices."

'Don't forget appearances!" Bearer added as he left the room again. Ravenna rolled her eyes.

'Doesn't count," she mumbled. Kane gave her a disapproving stare, but after exchanging looks with Ravenna, said nothing more on the matter.

'I'm guessing you're wanting to leave soon," Kane said after a moment of silence. Ravenna acknowledged him with a nod and looked away. No more words passed between them as Kane walked back out to the foyer and picked up a set of keys from a hanging peg with Ravenna right behind him. The rain had let up to a drizzle as both wrestlers approached the black SUV, Kane opening her door for her before walking to the driver side.

_Might as well get my story straight for Rowan, _Ravenna thought as she climbed inside and closed the door.

* * *

It was well into the afternoon before Rowan returned to the hotel, exhausted from his work out. Usually, going to the gym helped clear his mind, but today was a different story. It was hard to concentrate when Ravenna still had not shown up or even so much as called him to let him know she was alright. _If something happened to her, _Rowan thought worriedly as he slipped his key card into the slot.

The familiar ringing of his cellphone snapped Rowan from his thoughts as he dug through his bag in search of it. _Speak of the devil, _he thought briefly before flipping open the top. 'Ravenna! Where the hell are you?"

'Well hello to you too, Rowan," Ravenna replied coolly. 'Whatever happened to 'Good afternoon, sis. How are you today?'?" Rowan sighed in annoyance.

'I'll remember that the next time you're worrying over me. Where have you been all day? I've been trying to call you since this morning."

'If you have to know, I haven't been able to call you because I didn't have signal."

'And where are you?" Ravenna didn't answer him. 'Ravenna, where are you? Don't make me come and hunt you down!" The door to the hotel room suddenly opened to reveal Ravenna.

'Standing right in front of you," she answered before hanging up. Both twins stared at one another before Rowan finally closed his phone and went to hug his sister.

'Alright, you can let go now," Ravenna growled after being embraced tightly. She pulled away and straightened her jacket before dropping her bag to the floor.

'Don't ever do that again," he said sternly. Ravenna glared deeply at him before shaking her head. 'I'm serious, Ravenna. Don't scare me like that."

'You're acting like I was kidnapped," she threw back, taking off her black jacket and pulling out her duffel bag to find fresh clothes to change into.

'Well when you disappear at night and don't come back till the next day it's enough to make someone wonder. Especially if that someone is your twin brother."

'More like worry-till-he-almost-dies twin brother. Anyone ever told you that you need to learn to chill out sometimes?" Ravenna said with a smirk.

'Anyone ever told you that you're a smartass?" Rowan hissed. Ravenna just laughed at this.

'Touche," was her last remark as she disappeared into the bathroom. Rowan shook his head and threw his hands in the air.

'Of all the women in the world, and I have to get stuck with a smart alack for a twin."

* * *

The rest of the week seemed to fly by after that day. It seemed like yesterday that Ravenna had returned to her home by the sea in northern Maine, but now it was time to pack up and head for the next city- this Monday, she'd be in Los Angeles until Wednesday before she jetted off to Phoenix for her brother Vincent's championship match in the UFC. Ravenna was looking forward to see him again, especially after this week. It would be rewarding for her to catch up with him. But before she could do that, she still had to win her tag team match alongside Jazz. Ravenna would be lying if she said she wasn't ready; she'd taken some extra time to recover her knee after last Monday, and even went to the gym a couple of times to keep up her good shape all so she would have no excuse for not winning.

Rowan was scheduled for a match against Edge earlier that night, and Ravenna promised that she would accompany him to ringside to show her support. He'd calmed down tremendously from last week, but the same couldn't be said for Ravenna who was still fuming at Paul Bearer. First he put her in the basement and _then _had the nerve to practically threaten her brother. _What I would give to have him in a match against me. _Then she remembered something that he had said to her about Rowan.

_I'd hate to see you pay the price for his sins_.

Ravenna wasn't one to draw conclusions based on things she heard, but the way that he put his words made Ravenna consider that maybe Kane wasn't the one who had left the note found by Rowan. In fact, it looked like someone else was fanning the flames between her twin and the big red monster. Someone like Paul Bearer. _It wouldn't surprise me in the least if he's got something to do with it,_ Ravenna thought as she packed up her wrestling attire for Monday and Tuesday; a black halter shirt with black jeans and her favorite black boots. A solid black hoodie would finish off that costume for Monday. On Tuesday, she decided on a blue and black hoodie with a Gothic butterfly tank top and black cargo pants (She was finally beginning to see a pattern with her attires.). A couple of rock band t-shirts along with a green pair of cargo pants and her favorite Demonia skirt would be her everyday clothes outside the ring.

She was still debating on her manner of dress for Thursday, knowing that she would be expected to look nice for the occasion. Torn between a black or blue Gothic Lolita dress that came to her knees, Ravenna wasn't entirely sure if either would be an appropriate choice for such. Digging through her closet, she tried to find something else when her phone suddenly rang. Ravenna turned and scolded the phone in Cherokee before walking over and picking it up.

'Hello?" She began. To her surprise, no one answered. 'Hello?" she called once more. Silence. Ravenna shrugged and hung up. It wasn't much of a shock to her that no one answered her; for the past few minutes, that was all she'd been getting. _When they get over their shyness, they'll call me back, _Ravenna decided as she walked back to her closet. Before she was called away, Ravenna had found a dark blue dress that Rowan's friend Annalise had sent to her from Japan. She didn't see why she hadn't worn it yet- the dress reached just below her knees with tiny black rose buttons along the collar. The sleeves flowed like a kimono's, something Ravenna was quite fond of. The back laced up to look like black wings, similar to the raven wing tattoos that Ravenna had gotten two years ago on her eighteenth birthday. Ravenna was absolutely delighted that she had received it from her. Which reminded her that she needed to find something to give in return.

Deciding that now was as good a time as any to wear it for the first time, Ravenna took it down from the hanger and folded it neatly into her red rolling suitcase. Thinking for a moment, Ravenna went back to her closet and dug around in the bottom before she finally found her favorite blue high heels with skulls on the back. She smiled in pride as she put them right beside the dress. They matched each other perfectly. Satisfied, she zipped up the suitcase and set it to the side for tomorrow. She had let Rowan talk her into meeting him at the airport early in the morning. Ravenna hadn't wanted to say anything, but she guessed that he wanted her nearby in case they bumped into Kane again.

_Kane, _Ravenna thought. She was still trying to wrap her mind around the thinking behind him first trying to help her out of the ring (before Cody took on the task himself.) and then taking her in for the night after she was attacked. Ravenna still couldn't remember exactly what happened, having never questioned Kane on the matter. From what she could tell, judging from the small wound on the back of her head, Paul had been telling her the truth. Maybe it was just her, but Ravenna suspected there was more to the story than what she was being told. She made it a point to talk to Kane about it later.

At that idea, she couldn't help but shiver involuntarily. Despite her swearing up and down she was in no way, shape, or form interested in him, Ravenna found her thoughts being haunted by Kane, no matter how hard she tried to focus on something else. Nonetheless, perhaps she was a bit grateful that he did help her, and kicked herself for not thanking him the last time she had seen him.

The car ride back to her hotel was spent in silence, neither she nor Kane speaking about anything. She guessed it was just because of the awkwardness of the situation. Ravenna understood that perfectly, having had to go through the same with Kelly when Rowan invited her out with both twins and Cody Rhodes. If Ravenna had her way, she'd never have let it happen in the first place. If Cody hadn't been there to keep her distracted, more than likely, Raw would have taken place in public.

Ravenna took a deep breath and shook her head, reaching behind her to release the tie holding her hair back. Blue black hair cascaded down her shoulders hiding the black material covering the left side of her face. Upon feeling it, Ravenna felt the memories of what hid beneath it flow into her mind without her consent. It took everything in her not to let angry tears fall. Despite that, Ravenna knew that she was alone. No one would see what lay beneath it. So why did she continue to wear it even when she was on her own? She caught sight of her reflection in the mirror as she pondered on this, and on instinct, reached to touch what should be smooth skin. Even through the black veil concealing them, she could feel the scars just there beneath the thin material. Slowly, she reached for the pins that held it in place at her hairline.

It took just minutes for the black obscurement to fall from her face, and once again, Ravenna was faced with the harsh reality that came with wearing such an accessory. It reminded her of makeup- you could use it hide what lay beneath, but sooner or later, it had to come off. Every Diva Ravenna knew could take off their makeup and still be beautiful. She only wished the same could be said for her.

Her left hand came to touch the smooth, but horrifically jagged scars that ran from her hairline all the way down to her jaw on the left side. In the back of her mind, she heard screams- her screams- from years ago, begging the one responsible for this travesty to show mercy and end the torment. That usually ended in a vicious beating that left her unconscious for days sometimes. But her abuser was a clever one- never once did he do this when her brothers or her dear mother was home. Never once did he show a shred of mercy. Never once did he simply kill her and be done with it...

The more Ravenna looked at herself in the mirror, the more she wanted to smash it to pieces until there was nothing left. But even then, she knew that it wouldn't hide the scars just as no amount of makeup would ever completely conceal them from view. Just as no amount of care, adoration, or even that little thing called love would ever heal the scars of her past. With that said, Ravenna angrily turned from the mirror and fixed the veil back over her face, focusing instead on packing up her last few necessities into her messenger bag.


	6. Bad Intentions

**Author's Note**- Just a short chapter tonight. I planned on making it longer, but I didn't want to overload everyone's minds. Before I get this started, I just wanted to clear up exactly what time frame in WWE the story takes place in. I had every intention to clarify it, but kept forgetting to. This is going to take place sometime between 2004-2007. I imagine that Kane has just divorced Lita and finished his feud with Edge. However, there are a few situations from the early 2000's up till now that I want to include. This is just to give the story a little more depth and give it that horror element that I'm looking for.

Also, I want to add that while I haven't changed the plot, I had to change the summary to Ravenna's perspective. This is because I don't feel Rowan has developed enough as a character to really have a starring role. He's not being cut, but he's been moved to a supporting character until he develops more. I don't believe that Ravenna has this problem as she's developed about as much as she's going to for this story.

I'm rambling on, so I'm going to shut up and say ON WITH THE SHOW! (By the way, who thinks Daniel Bryan needs to be eviscerated for beating Kane at SummerSlam? I say we off the little goat faced Oompa Loompa this Monday!)

* * *

Monday night was hectic as always backstage. Everyone was going this way and that, staff shouting orders to others as they prepared for the two hour live show. In Ravenna's locker room, however, all was well and quiet as she laid out her attire for the night. Just minutes ago, she had applied her usual black and purple eye makeup as well as a bit of lip gloss, but now it was time to get suited up. Adrenaline was already building in anticipation of her tag team match tonight.

Ravenna had just pulled on her pants and shirt when a short knock broke the silence of the room, Rowan letting himself in.

'Still not dressed?" he noted, brushing his neck length black hair out of his face. 'I thought by now you'd be ready!" Ravenna glanced up at him as she put on a pair of socks.

'Ever heard of enjoying some alone time before a match?" Ravenna mumbled, reaching for her knee high boots. Rowan snatched them up and playfully held them out of reach as Ravenna gave him an annoyed look before handing them back reluctantly.

'Well we can't all be calm, cool, and collected like you all the time, sis," he said, ruffling the young Nokomis twin's hair. Ravenna cursed under her breath at this and smoothed it back down. 'You gotta learn to let loose sometimes!" Rowan finished, re-ruffling her hair. He repeated this twice more, the last time earning him a powerful punch from Ravenna in the arm.

'Tell you what, I'll let loose a few knots on your head if you don't stop messing with my hair," Ravenna growled, growing more and more annoyed at her brother's aggravation. If there was one thing she didn't like, it was Rowan poking fun at her before a match. She'd rather have someone else to take her anger out on. Rowan held his arm and rubbed it vigorously to banish the thumping pain.

'Well someone's on edge tonight," he grinned, Ravenna rolling her eyes and flipping him off. 'Aw, that's so sweet! I love you too, sis!" Rowan snatched Ravenna up and gave her a bear hug.

'Alright already! Put me down!" she hissed, twisting her way out of the embrace. 'What's got you in such a childish mood, anyways?" Rowan shrugged and put his arms behind his head.

'Maybe it's because I'm the new World Champion and owned the Rated R Superstar!" Rowan said ecstatically. Ravenna had to admit that it was sort of a big deal for Rowan to have won this match against Edge. He needed to send the message that he wasn't going to let this title go without a hell of a fight first. Ravenna also noticed that there was a lightness to Rowan's step and he was more talkative than usual. She only wished that he wasn't so damn childish when he was around her.

'Well that's very good. Now if you don't mind, I need to finish getting ready." Ravenna finally said, dragging her brother to the door and urging him out. Rowan ruffled her hair one more time to add salt in the wound, quickly darting away when Ravenna made a grab for him.

'Love you too sis! Good luck tonight!" Rowan called back as he started down the hall. Ravenna shook her head and laughed quietly.

'Like I really need it," she said, closing the door and walking back to the nearby bench to dig out her arm warmers from her backpack. Pulling out her mp3 player by mistake, Ravenna decided that it couldn't hurt to listen to a few songs while she finished getting ready, and put in her black ear buds.

Belly's Dusted played as she pulled back her hair and secured her face covering. This one in particular depicted a raven flying in lace. Ravenna was very proud to wear this veil in particular due to her having made it herself. It was more breathable as well; she didn't have to worry about it irritating her skin underneath it should she begin sweating. When she was satisfied it could not be yanked off easily, Ravenna pulled on both arm warmers and began to lace up the left just as Alice Cooper's Feed My Frankenstein started.

* * *

Rowan never paid a bit of attention to the three men dressed in black lingering only a few feet away from his sister's dressing room. One waited until they were sure he was gone before venturing forward to look at the name tag hanging near the top. A quick thumbs up alerted the others that this was the right room. The taller of the three motioned him back over to discuss their carefully orchestrated plan.

'He won't be back for a good hour or so," one of them mentioned once all three were reunited. 'She likes to be alone before and after a match to recuperate. That gives us enough time to get in and get out without his interference."

'But wouldn't it make more sense to get her _before _she actually goes out? There's no way we could do it in front of millions! He'll come running the second he sees us!"

'He's got a point," the second tallest remarked. 'If we don't want to draw him out, we need to get her before the match. We need to make a clean get away." One of them grinned and looked behind him.

'Her friend here is going to make sure of that," he mentioned. From the shadows, Jazz looked from one man to the next, too shaken up to really say anything in protest. She didn't know what these men wanted, only that they had forcefully pulled her from her car and made her show them where Ravenna's locker room was. One grabbed hold of her hair and brought her to the center of the group.

'Now let's make sure we've made this clear enough for your pretty head to understand," One growled, never releasing his hold on Jazz. 'You are to go to her door as though nothing is wrong. Tell her anything that will bring her out of her room and towards us. Say _nothing _that will give away our purpose here. Then you are to leave and tell no one of whatever you happen to see. And if we suspect even for a moment that you've betrayed us, we _won't _take it lightly. Am I understood?" Her captive hissed, holding Jazz close to his face. The dark skinned Diva smacked his hand away and backed off.

'So help me God, if any of you hurt her, I'll personally hunt you down myself!" Jazz threatened, walking towards Ravenna's door reluctantly. This brought a collective laugh from all three men.

'Whose to say we'll still be in town by then?" The stockier of the group called as Jazz flashed him an angry look. As she approached Ravenna's door, Jazz quickly formulated a plan. If those bastards thought even for a second that she was going to intentionally betray her friend, they had another thing coming. _What the hell have I gotten myself into, _she thought, knocking on Ravenna's door.

* * *

Ravenna had just finished lacing up her arm warmers for her upcoming match when frantic knocking broke the silence of her dressing room. She glanced up in annoyance and cursed in Cherokee. Rowan no doubt was back for round 2 of his aggravation like he usually did. Honestly, what was his fascination with getting Ravenna riled up before a match? Did he seriously want to see her take out all her anger on someone? _He never gives up, _Ravenna thought.

'Now's not a good time, Rowan!" Ravenna called out, stretching her arms as she turned off her mp3 player. The knocking grew even more frantic. Throwing her hands into the air, she stood and crossed the short distance to the door and flung it open. Without warning, Jazz came barreling inside and slamming the door behind her. 'Jazz, what's wrong?" Ravenna asked, sensing something wasn't right just by the look on the older Diva's face. Jazz shook her head.

'Listen, don't ask any questions. Just follow me out into the hall and play along with whatever I say. When I tell you to, run and don't look back. I'll explain everything later, I promise!" Jazz said in a scared and quiet voice. Ravenna gave her a questioning look, but otherwise nodded. Jazz mirrored this and gave her a quick hug before opening the door again and leading Ravenna into the hall.

'So I was thinking that maybe we could go out for dinner again after our match," Jazz said in a mock happy voice. Ravenna could see the fear in her eyes, even if Jazz was refusing to show it. She managed a tiny smile and nodded.

'Sounds good to me," Ravenna agreed, continuing their animated conversation about where they could go, adding that there was a new movie in theaters that they should see as well. It wasn't until they got halfway down the hall that Ravenna suddenly caught sight of the 'they' that Jazz must have been referring to- there, in the shadows, were three men who had a look of ill intentions written all over their faces. She took a deep breath as Jazz walked a bit closer before freezing and glancing from Ravenna to the men.

'Ravenna, RUN!" Jazz screamed. All that adrenaline that had been building up for her match gave Ravenna the extra boost of speed she needed. Like a rocket, Ravenna took off in the opposite direction, not giving a damn where she was heading. Behind her, she heard Jazz fighting the men that were calling after her, but one must have gotten away as Ravenna heard sounds of someone running behind her.

Ravenna took sharp turns and pushed objects into the path of her pursuer, her small frame giving her an advantage when it came to maneuvering into small spaces. The string of curses that followed one particular moment let her know that whoever it was following her knew there was no chance in hell they were going to catch her as easily as they may have thought. She grinned smugly. That extra hour she spends at the walking track was finally starting to pay off.

Even though she was positive she had put a great deal of distance between herself and the men in black, Ravenna was careful not to let her guard down too much. There was no way of knowing if there were more right behind them, or if more were laying in wait. Ravenna turned to look behind her, not so much as panting. Sure enough, no one was following her.

'Who the hell was that, anyways?" Ravenna said aloud. Her moment of relief was short lived when she bumped into something hard. Her breath caught in her throat as Ravenna slowly glanced behind her. When she caught sight of who was behind her, Ravenna almost wished that she had never done so in the first place.

* * *

It was difficult to say for certain exactly what was going through Kane's head as he looked down at the ebony haired woman currently leaning against him. A confused look had etched itself across her pale features, but now it was being replaced by something similar to shock. Or was it surprise? Kane didn't know and didn't care. Misallied eyes met almost black eyes and lingered there for many moments. But the more he kept looking into those dark orbs of hers, the more Kane began to see the similarities between her and Rowan. Anger started to boil within him at that thought. A part of him was calling for him to chokeslam her to hell and be done with it, just to enrage Rowan, but something was holding him back. The same thing that had made him take her with him the night he'd seen her laying helplessly in the rain. There was just something about _her _that made him think twice, something that reminded him of Katie...

The woman- Ravenna was it?- continued to stare up at Kane, who was studying her in return. Truth be told, she wasn't bad looking in any way, shape, or form. Her pale skin almost blended with his own pale complexion. The long black strands of hair had been pulled away from her face, and seemed to shine a dark blue hue in the lights. From what he could tell, she was beautiful- almond shaped eyes and high cheekbones gave away that she had some sort of Native American in her, and full lips that didn't need any color whatsoever. However, that was just one part of her face, for the other side was partially hidden by that black material on her face. With a face like hers, what could she possibly want to hide?

Both were snapped out of their vigilant stares by the sounds of someone shouting from down the hall. Ravenna's black hair brushed against him briefly like silk as she turned her head in that direction quickly. Ravenna tried sidestepping away from Kane only to be stopped by his large hand taking hold of her arm. Oh no, he thought. She wasn't going anywhere just yet. He wasn't done with her. She was surprisingly strong, however, and Ravenna easily jerked her arm out of his grasp. The ebony haired Diva glared at him for several long minutes almost as though she couldn't believe he just did that before walking away quickly, taking a sharp right turn into the service halls. That was almost like walking through a maze; if someone didn't know which hall lead where, you could be wandering through them for hours. Lucky for him, Kane was one of few that knew them well, having used them many times in the past. It was highly unlikely that Ravenna would even know anything about them.

A smirk crossed Kane's features as he started following her. Unknowingly, Ravenna had just given him a better idea on how to infuriate Rowan.


	7. Exodus

**Author's Note-** Sorry to have kept everyone waiting ^^; This chapter just didn't want to get done and was fighting tooth and nail. But I did it finally. =D

Many thanks to the following for their reviews: lilywhite25, Blackhat, Elmstreet81 (*high fives* Another NOES fan!), and Lunasea (I believe that was her name. Can't really remember. ^^") It's great to see that you are enjoying the story! *hugs you all*

* * *

It felt like ages since Ravenna had entered the service halls. It was obvious that these halls hadn't been used in quite some time: there were boxes and stacked chairs lining the white concrete walls, a few lights flickering and the floor riddled with long cracks in the tile. Every few feet or so were halls leading in different directions. They were also pitch black.

Ravenna wasn't afraid of the dark, but given the current circumstances, she wasn't sure that even she really wanted to go down any of them. She was smarter than what people liked to think. Still, a hall with flickering lights never boded well. There was just too many things that could go wrong in a matter of seconds. Maybe that door she went took was a bad idea after all. Honestly, what had she been thinking going past a door that led into a seemingly endless hall?

_If this was a horror movie, people would be hating me by now for this_, Ravenna couldn't help but think. Actually, this had all the makings of a horror movie scene to her. _A group of men dressed in black are chasing me all over the arena and a seven foot tall man with a serious grudge against my brother is more than likely pissed at me for walking away from him. What could possibly go wrong here? _

Ravenna stopped only for a moment in front of a hallway, breathing deeply. This usually calmed her down, but against her will, Ravenna's body was shaking with a feeling she was sure she'd rid herself of. Apparently not. She closed her eyes slowly just as the light above her began to flicker, intending to stop for just a moment...

But in that moment, a pair of arms reached from the blackness of the hall and pulled her towards their owner. Ravenna gasped in surprise, twisting violently. She balled up a fist and started to take a swing until she caught sight of a familiar face.

'Easy there, Ravenna!" Cody Rhodes started, holding up his hands as he backed up against a wall. 'It's not like I'm trying to kill you!" Ravenna sighed in annoyance and backed off, running a hand through the strands of hair that had escaped the band that kept them held at the base of her skull.

'Cody," she mumbled. The brunette man before her nodded and brushed off his hooded jacket.

'Yes, sweetheart. It's just me," Cody answered with that confident smile of his. Any other day, depending on her mood, Ravenna would have gladly seen his smile and returned it. Tonight however Ravenna could only stare up at him, unimpressed and absolutely not in the mood for his charms.

'What are you doing in here anyways?" Ravenna asked in a harsher voice than she intended. Cody ran a hand through his brown hair, his smile fading to a look of concern.

'If you have to know, you caused quite a commotion back in the locker rooms. I heard someone mention you were being followed, so I took a short cut to find you. To be honest, I thought you could use some help." Cody admitted, placing both hands on Ravenna's shoulders, sending pleasant waves of heat through her petite body. _Don't even think about tough guy, _Ravenna thought. It was no secret that Ravenna _liked _Cody, but as far as she was concerned, they were merely friends. _Friends who happen to go on dates together. _But now was hardly a time to even entertain such a thought.

'So you just had to come and 'rescue' me again, huh?" Ravenna asked sarcastically, reluctantly shrugging off his hands. Cody nodded.

'You'd do the same for me," he added with a smile. Ravenna looked away from his warm smile, shifting her weight uncomfortably.

'Then make yourself useful and show me the quickest way to Rowan's locker room," Ravenna said through gritted teeth. The man frowned and narrowed his eyes as he possessively took hold of Ravenna's arm.

'If you think for a second that I'm going to let you go off on your own, you're out of your mind," Cody argued. 'I'll show you the way, but I'm coming with you. Rowan will shoot us both if I let something happen to you." Ravenna started to argue the matter further, but heavy footsteps from somewhere out in the main hall made all words flee from her. Slowly, she peeked past the corner before quickly easing her way further in the shadows. Cody began to ask what was wrong, but Ravenna shook her head and took hold of his jacket.

'Come on!" She whispered just as the footsteps were getting closer.

'What's wrong?" Cody whispered as he looked back. Both wrestlers froze in their tracks as the owner of those footsteps emerged from around the corner. 'Shit!" Cody hissed as Kane looked in their direction, the flickering light making that pale blue eye of his even more frightening. A wicked smile crossed his face as he ignored Cody and looked right at Ravenna before slowly stalking towards her. Cody quickly jumped to her defense, running straight at the big red monster only to have a large fist connect with his jaw. Not deterred, Cody got right back up and delivered a punch of his own. The force was enough to knock Kane back long enough for Cody to grab Ravenna.

'Let's go!" He yelled, dragging the young Diva behind him. Ravenna spared one more glance behind her to see Kane in hot pursuit, his angry breathing drowning out the sound of her racing heart. _I knew this was going to happen, _she thought as Cody made a sharp left. _I knew this wasn't going to end well! But no one ever listens to me! _When this was over, Ravenna was going to throttle Rowan for whatever he had done to piss off Kane. Just throttle him until he begged for mercy. Even then, she wasn't sure she'd stop.

Several turns later, Cody and Ravenna emerged into yet another hallway, this one more familiar to Ravenna. A quick observation confirmed that this was the hall leading to the locker rooms. _Now that's what I call a short cut. _But neither of them stopped; without words, Cody continued to lead Ravenna down the halls, making one more turn before bumping into Rowan himself.

'There you are!" her twin said with a worried look. 'I've been looking everywhere for you! You're set to go on in ten minutes!" Cody glanced from Rowan to Ravenna and shook his head.

'I hate to be the bearer of bad news Rowan, but I'm not sure that's a good idea. Right now, I think it's best that we get Ravenna out of the arena." Cody then went on to explain their encounter with Kane before Ravenna brought up what had happened back at her locker room, purposely leaving out her first run-in with Kane. Rowan remained silent throughout, his look of anxiety deepening to that of barely contained wrath. When both had finished, Rowan remained deathly still and quiet for many moments before he calmly took hold of both of Ravenna's hands and just gripped them gently, running his thumbs over the black material that hide the tops of her small hands.

'I knew I shouldn't have brought you out to the ring," he said after awhile. 'I knew we shouldn't have gone out there." Ravenna looked up into her twin's eyes, taking care to keep her expression as soft as she possibly could manage. Rowan rested his forehead against Ravenna's.

'Ravenna, I don't want to see you get hurt. I can't let you go out there knowing that there's people trying to hunt you down for what I've done."

'What _have _you done, Rowan? Why would someone want to do this to us? It can't just be over the match, can it?" Ravenna whispered back. Rowan shook his head.

'I wish I could say that it is, but there's more to it than that." he replied. 'I'll explain more later. Right now we need to get you somewhere safe." Rowan raised his head and looked to Cody.

'I'm going to let the GM know what's going on and to replace Ravenna with someone else. Can you take her back to the hotel for me?" Rowan asked. Ravenna let out a surprised gasp.

'What?" she began. 'Rowan, you can't be serious!"

'I'm not going to argue about this, Ravenna. It's too dangerous." Rowan replied, the set of his jaw betraying how angry he was.

'Do you honestly think that I'm going to let this scare me away from the ring? I have to go out there with Jazz!" she protested. Rowan ignored these pleas as he reached into his pocket and handed Cody his car keys and hotel room key.

'Don't let anything happen to her," Rowan murmured. 'I'll take care of Kane." Cody nodded and accepted both from him before taking Ravenna's arm again. But the ebony haired Diva was far from finished with her twin; jerking away from him with almost inhuman strength, Ravenna stalked toward her retreating brother and forced him to turn back towards her.

'Listen to me closely- I'm _**not **_going anywhere, I'm _**not **_backing out of this match, and most of all, I'm _**not **_letting some guys in black or the 'Big Red Monster' scare me off. I don't need someone to protect me like I'm some damsel in distress, for Christ's sake!" Rowan never met her angry gaze, only stared off towards the right for several minutes, further infuriating his sister.

'Ravenna, **move**!" Rowan bellowed as he pushed Ravenna in the direction of Cody just as Kane was emerging from behind some wall dividers. 'Get her out of here!" he ordered Cody before turning his attention back to the fast approaching Kane. He stared at him fearlessly, even as a large hand pushed him out of the way into some stacked chairs. Cody didn't waste a minute more; the second Rowan was shoved, he was dragging Ravenna in the opposite direction.

'Rowan!" Ravenna called, trying to break away from Cody to get to her twin. Rowan gritted his teeth and pulled himself back together to charge at the giant before him, only to be held back by several men that seemed to come from nowhere. With strength he never knew he had, Rowan twisted and fought viciously against his captors. But they clearly had the upper hand in the situation with their strength in numbers as they drug him in the opposite direction away from his twin.

'Run, Ravenna!" Rowan screamed before something hard connected with the back of his head. Without a sound, he slid to the ground, Ravenna screaming his name being the last thing he heard.

* * *

The second Rowan was hit from behind, Ravenna was jerking away from Cody and running to the aid of her brother. The moment she slipped away from him, Cody quickly reached to grab her, completely forgetting how nimble Ravenna was.

'Ravenna wait!" he called, even as he was surrounded by more of those strange men. The other Nokomis twin turned back to him, hearing the connecting of fists to faces and other body parts. Torn between her fallen brother and Cody, she glanced from one to the other. Between Cody and her were four men who she knew she could easily take down. However, there was now an even bigger obstacle that was keeping her away from Rowan- Kane. She ran a hand through her hair and sighed in frustration.

Kane over topped her by a good two feet and was twice the size of her and Rowan put together. Unless there was a divine intervention, there was no way in hell that she had a chance at overpowering Kane on her own. She was going to have to find a way to get around him, but even that was damn near impossible; as though sensing what she was planning, Kane stopped a good eight or nine feet away from Ravenna. An amused smile was crossing his face as he watched Ravenna look from Rowan and Cody, unsure of what to do.

Ravenna spared one more glance to Cody, making sure that she kept a close eye on Kane at the same time. Cody was fighting valiantly, but beginning to tire quickly. _Don't give up now, Cody, _Ravenna thought as he was knocked down by one of the larger men. Her breath caught in her throat as Rhodes fought to get back up on his feet, but failing miserably. Ravenna decided that she had seen enough; completely forgetting about Kane, Ravenna charged straight at Cody's unsuspecting attackers and took two of them out easily with clotheslines to the backs of their heads, quickly joining the fray.

The men seemed reluctant to fight her, but quickly changed their sights to Ravenna as she took each one of them down with punches rivaling that of a male boxer. A few fell to the ground after one or two hits, others from about three. All told, she repeated this process about twice as more men swarmed around her. _Where are all of these guys coming from, _she wondered, kicking one in the chest when he tried grabbing her. Cody had finally gotten to his feet, helping the best he could.

The fighting suddenly came to halt as an ominously dark shadow fell upon all combatants, effectively breaking Ravenna and Cody's concentrations as they turned in the shadow's direction. Without warning, they found their throats in the iron grip of Kane. The seven foot man easily lifted both of them off their feet, watching with those cold eyes that could send chills down even Ravenna's spine. She clawed at his arm ineffectually. When that didn't work, Ravenna thrashed about, trying to build enough momentum to land a good kick, but Kane only held her further away from his body. He looked from Cody to Ravenna, studying his captives for several minutes. Ravenna stole a glance to her brother's fallen form, silently praying that he would arise and help her, but Rowan remained still.

The second her eyes broke away from Kane's angry face, Ravenna felt that impossibly large hand suddenly begin to choke her. Coughing, she forced herself to look away from Rowan and back to Kane. Cody was in no better shape- he too was fighting for air, trying in vain to land a blow on Kane. Kane's eyes left Ravenna's face and rested on Cody, the muscles in his left arm applying more pressure on him until Cody glanced to Ravenna. _I'm sorry I couldn't protect you, _they seemed to say as Rhodes slowly began to consciousness.

'No!" Ravenna choked out, drawing attention back to herself. 'Let him go!" Damn it to hell, she didn't care what happened to her. Ravenna may have been a bitch to him earlier, but she wasn't about to sit back and watch Cody choke. 'Please let him go!" An amused smirk crossed Kane's features as he brought her closer to his face.

'And what if I don't?" he asked, baiting the ebony haired Diva. Ravenna glared at him, gritting her teeth in anger.

'I swear to God, if you hurt him, I'll-"

'You'll what? Fight me?" Kane interjected angrily, his smirk gone. 'Go ahead Ravenna. Fight me! Because before you can do anything, I'll have already snapped your boyfriend's neck like a twig. Just like I'll do... to **_you_**." There was nothing but pure malice in his words. Kane wasn't joking in the least, nor did he make empty threats. Ravenna swallowed hard.

'Do whatever the hell you want with me," she spat, not caring about the consequences. 'You can't do anything to me that no one already has! But Cody has nothing to do with this!" The look in Kane's eyes after she said this made Ravenna suddenly regret having let those words pass her lips. A chill went down her spine, but Ravenna refused to allow herself to let it show. She steeled herself and stared fearlessly into Kane's furious eyes. For a split second, she was sure that Kane was going to break her neck right then and there as the pressure became so strong that Ravenna was sure she'd heard the cracking of bones until her ears heard a far more sickening sound.

_Laughter_, Ravenna thought, blinking her eyes several times as he slowly loosened his grip on her neck. _He's laughing?_ Sure enough, Kane was laughing at Ravenna's outburst. He _actually _thought this was funny? The more he laughed, the more Ravenna felt like she was being slapped in the face. _Just _wait _until you put me down, _she vowed. _I don't care how much bigger or stronger than me you are, I'll kick you ass anyways. Then we'll see who'll be laughing then, huh? _Despite such a vow, a little voice warned her to be careful what she wished for. Ravenna may not know much about Kane, but she knew enough to know that when the big red monster started laughing, it never boded well.

'Whatever the hell I want?" he asked. 'Alright. I can work with that," Kane added, tossing Cody's fading form to the side. He never made a sound as he lay on the concrete floor. Ravenna expected Kane to do the same to her, but no such luck was hers as she suddenly found herself slung over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

'What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Ravenna screamed. Kane only laughed in response as he spared a glance to the men who'd been watching the entire ordeal.

'My thanks for sending her my way," he said, before turning and walking away with Ravenna in tow.

'You bastard! Let me go!" Ravenna yelled, fighting him once again. Kane only tightened his grip on the petite Diva. She twisted to the side in an attempt to wriggle free, but the arm that held her was like an iron band. The more she fought, the tighter his arm constricted her until it became almost impossible to breathe. Ravenna stopped for a moment to catch her breath, completely unaware that Kane was purposely taking a sharp enough turn to make Ravenna swing in that direction and her head scoring a direct hit on the corner. Instantly, Ravenna went limp as the world faded to black.


	8. No Escape

**Author's Note**- This chapter was going to be so much longer, but once again, I had to stop myself because it was going to be too much in one chapter. So I added yet another cliff hanger for all of you. ^_^ I would like to once again thank all who have favorited and reviewed on the story! *hug* I keep telling myself that I need to review back, but I keep forgetting! D= This time I won't. I promise. =)

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There was no light when Ravenna opened her eyes again, but even so, it felt as though someone had shined a bright light upon them for so long that she was rendered blind. With a groan, she forced herself to sit up slowly. Dizziness was quick to assault her next and it took everything in Ravenna to keep from falling off the soft surface she now laid upon.

_Wait, soft?_ Ravenna glanced down after rubbing her eyes several times. Sure enough, she was laying on a bed covered only with what looked like a dark colored blanket, but the darkness of the room made it hard to be certain. She touched her forehead and blinked again, trying to remember how she came to be in a dark room in the first place. All Ravenna could recall was fighting those men with Cody before Kane came along...

'Oh no," she muttered, realization kicking in. She jumped off the bed, ignoring her dizziness until she fell to the cold concrete floor after her legs gave out in protest. Ravenna sat there for several minutes, rubbing her temples in an effort to soothe the migraine that struck with a vengeance.

Within minutes, a light came on above her, illuminating the small room. Ravenna took a sharp breath as she came face to face with a chain link fence threaded with what looked like rusty razor wire. Another step or two and Ravenna would have had to pay a visit to the hospital. Cautiously, she stood to her feet and took a few steps back to examine the 'fence'- it ran from one side of the room to the other, effectively blocking off her only escape route; a simple wooden door. The door leading out of the confined space was padlocked from the outside. Through each link in the fencing was razor wire that would make it suicide to reach through in an attempt to unlock the door. Luckily, there was another door not far from the simply twin sized bed situated near the corner.

Ravenna walked briskly towards it and flung open the door, feeling around for a light switch. She found it after a moment and turned it on. The room ended up being a simply bathroom with a small window near the ceiling. Unfortunately, it was much too high for Ravenna to reach, not even on her tiptoes. Judging by the size, it appeared to be large enough for her to fit through, but appearances could be deceiving. She wandered towards the sink and spared a glance at herself in the mirror. A confused sound escaped her when she saw something off about her appearance.

_I wasn't wearing this when I was at the arena, _she thought, reaching to touch her throat. It resembled that of a dog collar, only with a peculiarly shaped latch in the front that stuck out a bit. A memory she had of watching Vincent hunting with his dogs flowed into her mind as she remembered a similar style of latch on the collars they were wearing... Ravenna's eyes suddenly widened. Those collars weren't just any kind of collar. They were shock collars that kept dogs from running to places they weren't supposed to go.

Frantically, Ravenna tried to tear it off only to be rewarded with a sharp jolt of electricity straight through her throat. She gasped in surprise, abandoning her efforts. _What the hell is this thing doing on me, _Ravenna thought, looking in the mirror again. The collar was jet black, almost the color of the shirt she was wearing, but off to the side, she thought she spied what appeared to be lettering. Moving the hair that had fallen over her shoulder to the side, Ravenna turned her head to take a closer look. When she saw what it was, Ravenna almost punched the mirror in anger. _Seven years of bad luck be damned. _

In red stitching was a name she was all too familiar with by now- _Kane_.

'That son of a bitch," Ravenna hissed, storming out of the bathroom without even bothering to turn off the light. Her anger turned to seething rage when she looked through the links in the fence at whom she saw staring back at her.

'Awake at last I see," Paul Bearer said conversationally. 'I'm beginning to see you developing a habit of waking up in basements." At this Paul laughed as though it was the most hilarious thing he'd ever heard in his life. 'Don't mind the little fence in front of you. As long as you don't get the idea to hurt yourself for attention, you won't be in need of a tetanus shot."

'What the hell do you want _now, _Bearer?!" Ravenna shouted angrily, shaking with rage. 'I thought I made it clear that I _never _wanted to catch you around me again!" Paul chuckled darkly at this.

'You did just that," he agreed. 'But Kane had other ideas, as you can tell from that pretty little necklace he gave you." Ravenna unconsciously touched the collar upon hearing it mentioned. 'The same principles as with the fence follow with the collar; don't try anything foolish, and you won't be hurt too severely. It would be an awful shame to see a pretty girl like you broken beyond repair." An inhuman growl erupted from Ravenna as she started to wander closer to the fence, but thought twice upon seeing the rusted razor wire. She and Paul agreed on one thing at least.

'You never answered my question, you ignorant prick!" Ravenna hissed once again, pacing on the other side of the fence. What she would **give **to be over there beating the hell out of the fat bastard right now... Paul ignored her insult and clucked his tongue in disapproval.

'I must say, you've got one of the sharpest tongues I've ever heard in a woman, Ravenna," he began. 'And spirit too. I knew there was a reason Kane wouldn't stop talking about you." Ravenna punched a nearby wall in frustration, ignoring the scrapes she received on her knuckles.

'I don't have time for your games, Bearer! What the hell do you want, you son of a-" Ravenna was stopped by a strong shock to her neck, forcing her to her knees in pain.

'Looks like we're gonna have to teach you not to use such language there, Miss Ravenna," Paul laughed as he turned over a small remote in his hand. Ravenna glanced up at him, panting through the blinding pain. 'If you're going to be of any use to us, you're going to need to learn some manners too."

'Use...?" Ravenna managed, running her tongue over her unusually dry lips. When was the last time she'd had a drink of water? Bearer gave her a look that she'd seen her eldest brother Cole give Vincent and Rowan when he didn't believe something they said.

'Ravenna, surely you're smarter than what you would have me believe! We've been planning this for _ages_, especially since your brother's little escapades ruined our plans the first time."

'First time? Rowan's only been World Champion for a week! What do you mean 'first time'?" Ravenna asked, somehow finding her way back to her feet. Bearer laughed again.

'My dear, sweet Ravenna. You really think this is all about a Championship lost? My dear, this is about settling a long overdue score!" Ravenna cocked an eyebrow in confusion. 'Out of curiosity though, how is your niece Skye doing?" At the mentioning of her niece's name, Ravenna charged right at the fence, skidding to a stop just millimeters away.

'Don't you _dare _bring her into this! She's just a little girl!" Ravenna bellowed. Bearer only chuckled.

'A very beautiful little girl at that," he mentioned. 'She looks just like her mother." Ravenna was even more confused than she had been last week.

'How would you even know about Skye? You don't know anything about me, my brother, or my family at that!" she whispered.

'On the contrary, I know more about your family than you ever would. And it's all thanks to your twin brother. Since you aren't going anywhere anytime soon, I suppose now is as good a time as any to explain." Bearer shoved his hands into his pocket and slowly began pacing back and forth on the other side of the barrier. 'We have to go back a few years, though. About seven years to be exact. Back to the time when the Ministry of Darkness was going strong, gaining popularity and devout followers wherever the road took us. But there was one follower in particular that was most devout of all; a beautiful young girl named Angelique. A sweetheart, she was, so full of life and spirit. Just like you." Paul began, nodded in Ravenna's direction.

'Angelique had been with us since the beginning, going so far as to run away from home just to be a part of something bigger than herself. She went above and beyond herself to prove her devotion, never failing at anything... until she met a man. A trouble making punk that you happen to call Rowan. When I saw him for the first time, I knew that there was something funny about him. There was something in his eyes that screamed 'trouble'. I tried to tell Angelique to stay away from him, but she was too smitten to take heed of the warnings. That little black haired punk had promised her the sun, the moon and the stars if only she would come away with him., And go away with him she did- after she became pregnant.

'She stayed hidden for months until we heard about a wedding taking place in Phoenix, Arizona. A wedding between a man named Rowan Nokomis and a woman known only as Angela. No one else knew, but I knew it was her. She may have changed her name, but I knew that it was the same Angelique. I didn't want to, but I went to the wedding hoping to be proven wrong. What did I see? I saw beautiful Angelique, who was now showing obvious signs of pregnancy, marrying your hell raising brother!" Bearer was starting to get a little worked up at this point, his face turning an angry red as he glared at Ravenna, who could only stare blankly at him as she processed what she was hearing.

'Your black haired punk of a brother married beautiful Angelique! He ruined her life by getting her pregnant with his baby! And now we have no idea where she is!" Paul's breathing hitched as he fought to regain enough composure to finish his tale. 'Your brother knew we were looking for them, and he made them disappear. Where he sent them... I wish I knew. And I may never again seen the girl I had seen as my own daughter ever again." Everything was starting to fall into place after he finished. Ravenna looked to the ground, her expression quickly fading to that of shock as she remembered the loving wife of her brother, the woman who made him act like a lovestruck schoolboy whenever she was around.

'Angela... why didn't you say something to us?" Ravenna whispered as quietly as she could, closing her eyes and running her hands through her hair. 'We could have protected you!" Bearer ignored Ravenna's musings and took a deep breath, smiling as he did.

'But now... now, it seems that we don't need Angelique after all. We have a way to settle our score with Rowan Nokomis. Who better to use against Rowan... than his very own twin sister." Ravenna's heart skipped a beat. 'You're strong, stubborn, and much more durable than the others that came before you. And if all goes well with this, Kane will finally have you as his new toy to play with. He's become quite fascinated with you ever since you arrived here last week." Ravenna's fists clenched as every muscle in her body tensed. If he thought for a split second that she was going to let them use her against Rowan, he had another thing coming his way.

'Go to hell, you son of a bitch! I'll never help you-" Ravenna was shocked again by the collar as she said this, but the anger that flowed through her veins gave her the strength to endure it. 'I... won't... betray my... brother!" Ravenna could take no more; she fell to her knees once again as her throat throbbed in agonizing pain. Bearer seemed pleased that Ravenna was no longer standing and released his hold on the shock button on the remote in his pocket.

'I don't think you quite understand, Miss Ravenna," Paul said, baiting the ebony haired Diva. 'You don't have a choice in the matter. You _**will **_help us, whether you want to or not." Ravenna raised her head and stared at him defiantly.

'It'll be a cold day in Hell before I **ever** help you," Ravenna started, her unconcealed eye glittering in the bright overhead light. 'But if you think you can break me, go ahead and try it. You can't do anything to me that no one hasn't already tried." Bearer gave her a long hard look before smirking again and making his way back to the door just beyond the fence.

'I suppose we'll just see about that, won't we?" he threw back. 'It's a good thing Kane enjoys a challenge!" With those words, he closed the door and left Ravenna in peace. She stayed rooted in place for a time breathing heavily. With a growl of purest rage, she punched the wall as hard as she could over and over again, ignoring the pain that followed. When she finally stopped, Ravenna's knuckles were a bloodied mess. She was certain that she could see the bones in a couple of places. It was looking like she was in need of some bandages, maybe even some pretty heavy taping when she got back into the ring... _if _she got back in the ring.

Ravenna plopped down on her bed with a prolonged sigh, completely disregarding the blood falling from her hands onto the floor. The severity of the situation was sinking in at last; with this collar on her neck and that fence standing in her way, the chances of escape were slim. Even if by some miracle she managed to get out of this room, there still was Kane to contend with. She was painfully reminded of how futile her attempts to escape from his crushing grasp earlier that night (Was it even nighttime anymore?). She'd seen how Rowan and Cody had fared against him. For all she knew, they could be seriously hurt right now or worse...

'No, no," Ravenna chastised herself. 'You can't think like that. They're fine. They're strong guys. They'll be OK." Despite her best efforts to reassure herself, Ravenna didn't believe her own words. _No one is indestructible, not even Kane. You've been in worse situations than this. You survived that, and you'll survive this too. _

Ravenna suddenly recalled the window in the bathroom. It looked wide enough for her to get through, didn't it? She stood up and wandered back into the bathroom. Without thinking, Ravenna closed the lid of the toilet and climbed up on it to take a closer look at the window. Sure enough, appearances weren't deceiving- the window looked just wide enough for Ravenna to fit her shoulders through with ease. The only problem with this possible escape route was getting the window open. That would be something to consider when it came time to get the hell out of dodge.

The scratchy material of the collar around her neck also presented a problem; more than likely, it was programmed to go off should she make it out of the confined space. Ravenna quickly decided that it was a risk she didn't want to take when she got out of here. The first order of business was to get the damn thing off of her before she was sent through the roof from the shocks themselves. With that in mind, Ravenna climbed down from the toilet and began rummaging around in the bathroom. She didn't put it past Paul or Kane not to have removed anything that Ravenna could use against her captors, but she hoped that they had overlooked something useful.

The medicine cabinet was bare except for gauze and medical tape. Well, at least they left something for her to patch herself up with. Ravenna took a moment to wash the blood off her hands carefully before using a nearby hanging towel to dry them. After she'd applied both to her satisfaction, Ravenna replaced both and continued her search. The nearby linen closet housed several towels, wash cloths, bars of soap, and some shampoo. Ravenna frowned. Nothing of use here.

She was about to give up completely until she spied a cabinet under the sink. Praying quietly to whoever was listening to her at the moment, Ravenna knelt and opened the door slowly only to find nothing. Nothing, that is, until she spied something shining in the far back. She reached back inside and touched something cold and made of metal. Ravenna slid it in her direction and smiled in satisfaction. So they had overlooked something after all!

Her eyes widened and horrible memories flooded her mind as she looked at what she had pulled from the back of the cabinet. There, not so much as riddled with rust, was a razor blade. The blade looked almost identical to the instruments used to cause her scars... For a brief moment, Ravenna was no longer in the bathroom, held captive by Kane and Paul Bearer, and this 'Ministry' that was no doubt the ones chasing her back at the arena. No, Ravenna was not there, but back in Seattle, Washington. She was once again frightened little girl desperately fighting off her attacker brandishing red hot razorblades, screaming in agony as the cut through her skin like a hot knife through butter...

It took everything in Ravenna to pull herself back to reality, to frantically remind herself that it was in the past. But no matter what she did, the memories kept coming back. With a shaking hand, Ravenna touched the left side of her face concealed by the black veil. Echoing throughout her mind were the screams of Ravenna as a child. _Don't! Please stop! PLEASE STOP! _Ravenna covered her ears, hanging her head.

'Stop, please stop," she repeated quietly, rocking back and forth. She could almost feel the agonizing pain, almost smell the scent of burnt flesh as the blades cut deeper and deeper into her skin...

Just as quickly as it had began, it ended. The sounds of her past faded to silence and the artificial pain receding as through it never existed. Ravenna slowly returned to the present, the blackness that had covered her eyes slowly slipping away until she was once again staring at the offending object. Cursing under her breath, Ravenna seized the blade and stood from where she knelt, her knees cramping from having held that position for so long. Without another thought, she hid the blade under her pillow. _Now I've got a way to get this thing off of me,_ Ravenna thought, trying to preoccupy herself with that knowledge as she continued to breathe deeply.

She knew she'd have to be very, very inconspicuous when removing the collar. Ravenna ran her hand around the collar slowly, thinking of where the best place to start cutting would be. The back of her neck was the most obvious choice, but it was also the most dangerous. One false move and she could easily hurt herself. And Ravenna knew just how much damage these little things were capable of...

Ravenna considered this as she sat down on the bed again, then let her mind wander to the mirror in the bathroom. Perhaps she could use the mirror to see what she was doing? No, she decided. It wasn't worth the risk of causing potentially severe injuries. She'd have to work from the side. To prevent anyone from suspecting anything, Ravenna decided to cut only a little at a time. Maybe a centimeter or two at most. She could let down her hair and hang it over her shoulder when she got closer to cutting it off completely.

With this in mind, Ravenna scooted further back on the bed until she was leaning against a wall. Sighing, she closed her eyes with the intentions of dozing for a few minutes, but the light kept her from falling into a deeper slumber. Not that she wanted to at that. _A few minutes surely couldn't hurt, _Ravenna thought. _Just a few minutes... _

She would find herself wishing that she didn't decide to.


	9. Impending Changes

**Author's Note- **Well! Looks like we're getting down to the nitty gritty here with Kane, Bearer, and Ravenna! I'm trying to make the chapters longer, but at the moment, I'm currently preparing to start college and I'm not sure if I'll get anymore chances to update frequently, so I'm going to attempt to get as many chapters up and going as I possibly can before I get loaded down with work.

A few people have asked me a few times about my profile picture and asked me if that is my idea of how Ravenna would look. YES! I had actually been working on that face covering for a costume I made for a cosplay (I forget by now what character it was) and I thought one day to put it on and give myself an idea of how Ravenna might see things when she wears it. It really helps to get me in the mood for writing Ravenna's parts. =) I might, MIGHT do a full body picture later. Provided that I can get into better shape and get these curves under control. =w="

I'd like to shout out to all of those who continue to read and review the story as well as those who have favorited. I cannot begin to tell you how happy it makes me to see others enjoying my writing. *massive hugs* Fair warning though; this has a little bit of a steamy part. It's nothing too graphic, but it's still suggestive as hell if you know what I mean. *wink wink, nudge nudge* And in case you are wondering, yes. There will be more of these suggestive as hell parts as we go along. ;)

Now go my lovable lovelies! Go and read to your heart's content! ^_^

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_DON'T! PLEASE DON'T CUT ME AGAIN! _

_You're weak just like all the others! You're nothing but a pathetic little bitch!_

_PLEASE STOP! YOU'RE HURTING ME!_

_What's the matter? I thought you were a tough girl?I should have smothered you the day you were born!_

_HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!_

_You'll never be anything, do you hear me? No one will ever love you! No one will ever call you pretty! And you'll have me to thank for!_

_ROWAN! HELP ME! BIG BROTHER, HELP ME!_

Ravenna shot up from her bed with a start, gasping and feeling like she had just escaped _something_. Shaking hands hid her face from the world and a sheen of cold sweat covered her body making her clothes stick to her uncomfortably. She took several deep breaths, fighting the violent shaking that took hold of her in the chilly room.

'It was just a dream..." she whispered. 'It was just another dream." Dream? More like nightmare. Her dreams were supposed to have been a reprieve from the hell surrounding Ravenna. But instead the unseen forces of the world had to be cruel and force her to remember the past. As if things were bad enough...

Ravenna groaned and swung her legs over the bed, not entirely sure she was ready to trust her legs to carry her to the bathroom. A hot soak sounded absolutely amazing right now... She dropped her hands to her lap and just sat there, her eyes readjusting to the darkness that now surrounded her. The lights must be controlled from somewhere else, for the single light bulb that hung from a cord above her was out. Despite the infinite black around her, Ravenna thought she saw something glinting in one corner of the room, close to the ceiling. From where she was sitting, it looked like the lens of a security camera.

'Seriously?" Ravenna thought out loud, staring directly at it. So they not only had her in a 'cell' and a shock collar on her neck, but they also installed a _security camera_? What, did Bearer and Kane think they were going to get a free show or something? Things just kept getting worse and worse.

The chilliness of the room made Ravenna shiver involuntarily. Rubbing her bare arms briskly, Ravenna stood from the bed and walked to the bathroom, making sure to flip off the camera as she went to add insult to the injury. _They deserve it anyways, _Ravenna thought grumpily as she closed the door behind her and turned on the hot water after sticking the stopper for the tub in the drain. Quickly, she looked closer around the room to make sure there were no hidden cameras to spy on her.

To her relief, Ravenna found none as she began to shed her clothes, saving the facial covering for last as she retrieved a bottle of shampoo and conditioner, towels, a washcloth and soap before dispensing them onto the floor. After arranging everything the way she wanted, Ravenna turned off the water and made a move to get in until she stopped short. The collar. She couldn't take a bath with the collar on. She face palmed herself and shook her head. How could she have already forgotten? It looked like her neck was going to have to go unwashed for now.

Carefully, she lowered herself into the tub, grateful for a moment to herself. Ravenna had to force herself not to dip her head too far back as she wet her hair, hoping that she wouldn't get shocked from washing her hair. Death by electrocution wasn't exactly how she imagined herself going down. But no such thing happened as Ravenna washed her hair with the pleasant smelling shampoo, rinsing it until no more soap remained and applying the conditioner.

As she let the product do its work, Ravenna grabbed the soap and began scrubbing her face, avoiding her eyes as best as she could while trying not to drip too much water on the collar. It was itchy enough being dry, and Ravenna didn't even want to imagine what would happen if it was wet... She splashed water on her face a couple times and dried her pale complexion quickly before the water had a chance to drip down her throat.

She lost herself in her thoughts as Ravenna rinsed out the conditioner in her hair and let out the water only to refill it with clean water. No cameras in the bathroom meant that Ravenna would be able to cut the collar bit by bit without Bearer or Kane suspecting anything. That would also mean that she would be able to escape without them seeing her as well. A smug smile crossed her features as Ravenna contemplated this. Bearer and Kane had inadvertently done her a big favor.

Ravenna finished washing off her lithe body efficiently, sitting back in the water again as sleep threatened to take over her once again. Not wanting to take a risk in slipping down, Ravenna decided to pick up one of the towels and prop herself up on the edge, folding it up on her arms and resting her damp head upon it. It surely wouldn't hurt to doze for a few more minutes...

* * *

The bathroom door opened slowly and carefully, never making a sound as Kane crossed the threshold. Mixed eyes looked at the pile of clothes on the floor, reminding him of one of the reasons he'd come down in the first place. A large booted foot nonchalantly nudged them out the door, not really interested in handling them at the moment. Rather, he'd just noticed the nude form of the ebony haired girl that had propped herself up on the ledge of the tub.

Her deep breathing gave away that she was asleep, no doubt still exhausted. Every so often she would make a soft sound like she was having a bad dream, but never once did the young woman acknowledge that he was there. His eyes wandered over her bare shoulders, studying the pair of black raven wings that were forever inked into her skin. Kane wasn't one for tattoos, but these in particular were interesting enough to warrant a closer look. Absolutely silent despite his size, the seven foot tall man stood just inches away from the sleeping Diva. Her wet hair was fanned out on one side, keeping half of the tattoo hidden from his mixed gaze.

Carefully, he brushed aside the silken strands leaving the inked design exposed to his view. They were just as intriguing close up as they had been from afar; both wings began between her shoulder blades, and flared out towards either side. Within one feather on either side were names- Cole, Vincent, Samantha, Isabella, Angela, Skye, and Rowan. He guessed that it was the names of her family members. He took a seat beside her sleeping form on the tub's ledge, absently running his fingertips over the design, wondering at the smoothness of her skin. The young woman (_Ravenna_, he kept reminding himself that she had a name.) moaned softly but did not move away from his touch. A smirk crossed his face at such. She had absolutely no idea what an enticing position she'd placed herself in.

Feeling bolder, he ran his calloused palm up and over her arm, careful not to let his movements become too rough as to wake her. His hand trailed down her shoulder and back, stopping only when it almost came into contact with the water, and then traveled back upwards, sliding down and around to touch the side of her breast. Through it all, the woman remained quiet and still, never stirring from her slumber. Thick fingers found their way between the towel and found a hardening nipple, rolling it between long digits until it was a hard little nub.

The wom- _Ravenna's_ breathing hitched at this, and Kane withdrew his hand, not wanting to take anymore risk in waking her up. She needed her sleep anyways, though the tub probably wasn't the best place for that. Not really knowing what he was going to say if she woke up and not caring what she had to say about his presence at that, Kane reached under the water and pulled up the plug from the drain before setting it aside. He waited until the water was completely drained before wrapping the other towel around Ravenna before lifting her with ease into his arms.

It amazed him that throughout it all, Ravenna never awoke. Either she was a really deep sleeper, or she was just exhausted beyond belief. The tantalizing idea of using such to his advantage festered for a moment- _just_ for a moment- but no, no. That could wait until a little later, once she figured out who was in charge around her. Personally, he didn't care if he earned her trust or not. All Ravenna was to him was a tool to use against Rowan. Whether or not she became anything else was based solely on her behavior and how useful she proved to be. He wouldn't take any responsibility or feel any remorse for courses of action he had to take to ensure her obedience.

Kane thought of this as he laid Ravenna down in her bed, brushing aside her hair from the right side of her face. She looked... _innocent, _for lack of a better word, in her sleep. The kind of innocence that reminded him of someone from the past... Kane's smile faded away into a scowl. He didn't like the memory that was emerging from his past at the sight of Ravenna sleeping so peacefully. He turned away from her and stalked over to the pile of clothes he had kicked out of the bathroom and picked them up, taking another glance at the sleeping girl on the bed. Near the end was a change of clothes that he found in her bag that one of the Ministry's acolytes had brought sometime earlier that night. Normally, he would have just let her go without clothes, but the constant cold down here... She was of no use to him if she was sick. Ravenna needed to be in perfect health for what he had in store for her. Another sick grin crossed his features as he walked out of the enclosed space, padlocking the door back into place.

He was going to enjoy breaking and bending this girl to his will.

* * *

Bearer had just finished putting the roast into the oven and washing up the dishes when he finally opened the laptop Kane had let him use. Setting it atop the counter, he typed in a web address and patiently waited for it to finish loading before signing in to the email account that Kane had helped set up earlier that evening. More than likely, Rowan and Cody Rhodes were both being treated in some hospital after the Ministry's assault. Paul figured he would have 24 hour window to cover their tracks before either of them had a chance to alert the authorities. If all went well, no one would suspect something amiss anytime soon. He just had to assure that they had enough time to formulate their plan with the girl downstairs.

The email account was finally open and ready to be used after a couple seconds. He slipped a pair of thick eyeglasses onto his face before glancing down at the letter he had drafted earlier that day. First things first, he had to make sure that no one would be expecting Ravenna back anytime soon. It took him a minute to get used to the touch pad (He couldn't see how Kane was able to use it), but Bearer managed to move the cursor onto the space reserved for the recipient's email and quickly typed in a name.

_Stephanie McMahon_

Thankfully, her email popped up along with her name. You had to love the internet sometimes. Hitting tab a couple of times, he soon had the cursor on the subject line.

_Health Problems _

Bearer had decided that this was the best choice of excuses for Ravenna's absence as she rarely had injuries. Well, she did, but nothing too horribly serious. She was much too tough for that.

_Stephanie,_

_I'm not sure if Rowan got around to telling you, but unfortunately, I will not be returning to work for an indefinite amount of time. I seem to have contracted pneumonia _(Bearer almost decided against this, but if what he heard was true about Ravenna, she did have a history of having a weak immune system.)_. I wanted to let you know earlier before I left, but didn't get a chance. I must have passed out or something because I woke up in the hospital sometime later. I've asked my physician to write you a letter explaining more and to update you on my condition. Don't worry: I won't be gone long. I'll be back in the ring fighting again before you know it._

_Thanks for the understanding, _

_Ravenna Nokomis_

Bearer glanced over the email one more time before he clicked send and smiled in satisfaction as he signed out of the account. He would type up a physician's note later after dinner. The older man turned away from the computer and went about finishing mixing up a pitcher of iced tea when he heard heavy footsteps coming up from the basement. Kane emerged from the open door sometime later, ignoring his father as he deposited whatever he had been carrying under his arm to the laundry room down the hall.

'Everything went well, I hope?" Bearer asked cheerfully. Kane never so much as acknowledged him as he returned and retrieved the black laptop from the counter before he made his way to the nearby breakfast nook. Paul shrugged and went about his business If Kane wanted him to know what happened, he would tell him on his terms. Kids these days. He put the pitcher into the refrigerator and sauntered over to take a seat across from Kane, reaching for the leather bound book he'd been reading all evening by Dean Koontz. That man was a remarkable writer.

'You know, I've been thinking," Paul continued conversationally, catching Kane's attention for a brief moment before his misallied eyes looked back to whatever he was doing on the computer. 'You've been divorced for about, what was it? Two years?" Kane nodded, a sign for Bearer to get on with whatever reason he'd concocted for bringing up the topic. 'Well, Lita wasn't all that bad, but even you have to admit that you didn't have much in common with her.

'But Ravenna... now there's one that you could get along better with. She's young, beautiful inside and out, strong-"

'You've been going on about this since she got here." Honestly, what reason did Bearer have for being so interested in his personal life?

'Well, I just think if you could tame her wild side that she'd make a good addition to the family, don't you? This place could be more nicer if there was a pretty girl like Ravenna to add her own personal touch to." Bearer tried to imagine how Ravenna would be living with Kane and himself. Surprisingly, it wasn't as hard as he'd thought.

'Maybe," Kane said, closing the laptop and pushing it aside in favor of taking a book from the pile that had accumulated over the past week. His father seemed to forget that he still had to do some work on the girl to make sure she'd go along with whatever he happened to suggest. However, Paul had made a point, even if Kane would never verbally admit it.

He'd watched Ravenna long before he'd even faced her brother in the ring for the first time. When she debuted as a WWE Diva, Ravenna gained almost instant fame by defeated Trish Stratus in under a minute with the Widowmaker. Many had tried to engage her in conversation afterwards, but she never spoke in return, only nodded or shook her head in response. It was almost as if she didn't like talking at all.

Kane lost interest in her, or so he'd thought, until the Big Show began recounting tales of how Ravenna dominated the entire Diva's division to become the undisputed champion. Even if someone was schedualed to win against her, Ravenna refused to be beaten. And that reputation for not letting her opponent out of the ring without some form of injury... If that didn't spark any interest, he didn't know what would.

His mind returned to Bearer's remark about Ravenna being a better match for him than Lita. Her betrayal had hurt him deeply, especially after things were starting to get better between them. But as much as he hated to confess, Kane did miss having someone sleeping next to him at night. He'd almost forgotten what it was like not to sleep alone...

Maybe Ravenna was a better match, but that stubborn streak of hers was going to have to go before anything got started with them. He didn't want a repeat performance after Lita. A lot was going to have to change before he even entertained the thought of Ravenna being more than just an instrument against Rowan. A small smile crossed his face.

Oh yes, a lot was going to change.


	10. First Attempt

**Author's Note: **FINALLY! With school piling on the work, I thought I'd never get this chapter done! But I did! THANK YOU GOD! *collapses* And recently my rabbit Sofia had 4 healthy and happy babies. We've been busy also winter-proofing their cages, but the babies should have all their hair within the next week or so. (If you want to see them and get regular updates on when you can expect new chapters for _Sins of the Brother_, please visit my Facebook page: . .Ninja)

On a somewhat sadder note, I have no idea when I'll have a chance to post the next chapter, so you might be in for a slightly longer wait for the next update. However, since I've thoroughly enjoyed watching Daniel Bryan and Kane's antics on Monday Night Raw, I'm writing a short little one shot to hold people over. No, for the record, it's not slash. It's just a little something for Ravenna to get revenge on Kane for all the hell he's going to put her through. WARNING: it's not for the kiddies. Oh yes, it's that naughty. ;) So keep an eye out for it!

* * *

A loud groan escaped from Rowan as he thrashed about in his sleep, faintly aware of someone calling his name followed by frantic shouts for doctors and nurses. He let out a confused sound; what was going on? Where was he? What happened? Rowan tried to raise an arm, tried to clear the fog that made it difficult for him to think clearly. His head pounded, amplifying every sound until he was screaming in agony, pleading with whoever was causing the noise to stop before his head exploded...

There was a short, but sharp, pain in his left arm. Gradually the sounds faded into blissful silence and his thrashing ceased soon after. Rowan, who had previously been trying to open his eyes, suddenly felt the inescapable pull of sleep and gave up his violent fighting. The nurse beside him released a sigh of relief as she gently moved his disheveled hair out of his face. Poor fellow; he'd been in and out of it from the moment he arrived. The doctors had been shocked to find severe swelling about his brain, more than likely caused by blunt force trauma. Since then, they'd ordered that he'd remain heavily sedated so that his body would concentrate on reducing it. Now she was being told to not let him get anywhere close to consciousness. The young woman suddenly understood why.

Blue eyes spared an equally sympathetic gaze at the second man on the opposite side of the room. He, at least, was sleeping peacefully. All he suffered were horrific bruises on his neck caused by a very large person, more than likely a man. The hand print of the aforementioned man was still visible even from where she was standing. Internally, his vocal cords and trachea were so badly bruised that the doctors said it'd be a miracle if he could talk normally for quite some time. What was it that could have possessed someone to damn near choke the man to death?

Whatever the reason was, she could not dwell upon it. There was still the contacting of both patients' next of kin to be done while the police were investigating the odd circumstances that landed both athletes in the hospital. She plucked a manila folder from the end of the ebony haired man's bed and flipped through it. Sure enough, there was an emergency contact list. It looked like she had 3 to choose from, all listed as brothers and sister respectfully. Hopefully she'd be able to get in touch with one of them and get some more insight on his medical history. The other man's family was going to be a little harder to contact; so far his father and brother were not answering any of her calls. But who in their right minds would answer the phone so late in the night?

The nurse took both folders from each man's bed and wandered back to her empty station. She'd keep trying nonetheless. Someone was bound to answer her eventually.

* * *

'Are you sure you've got everything under control?" Bearer asked for the fifteenth time in a row as he stood by the door. Kane nodded again, setting Bearer's brown suitcase down beside him and backing off to observe his father pulling on a long black jacket. Ever since he'd told the old man to take a much needed vacation, he'd been fretting over Kane. Hell, he'd never seen him act like this since he was just a young boy fresh out of elementary school off to his first day of middle school. Paul ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

'Alright, if you're certain, then I'm off. I've got my cell phone and you've got the list of numbers you can call to reach me if you can't with one. I'll be back in three weeks." Bearer explained, picking up his luggage and opening the door before he looked back at his seven foot tall son. 'And Kane?" Misallied eyes blinked and held his gaze. 'Try not to cause too much damage. It'd be a shame to see her loveliness marred with scars." Kane nodded again, unable to contain his impatience as Bearer finally crossed the threshold.

'Have fun!" His father called back as he neared the yellow cab waiting for him. Kane just shook his head and closed the door, sliding the deadbolt home and latching the small gold chain into its slot. He couldn't help but grin at Paul's last words. Fun didn't even begin to describe how these three weeks were going to be. With his father gone, Kane wouldn't have to find creative ways of muffling any screams or cries for help from the black haired girl beneath him in the basement. He could inflict as much pain as he pleased without his father scolding him later. Not that he would care anyways.

Kane pondered this as he sauntered into the darkened study of his home, observing the monitor on a nearby stand. Sure enough, the bed where he'd placed the girl (No, Ravenna. Her name was Ravenna, not girl or woman as he continuously referred her to.) was now empty. The door to the bathroom was closed, had been closed for some time, he assumed. His grin widened as Kane left the room and walked slowly towards the basement door. Ravenna was obstinate and tenacious by nature. No one had a snowball's chance in hell of breaking or overpowering her, rumor had it.

It was time to put that rumor to the test.

* * *

Ravenna had just finished dressing in her dark purple plaid skirt reached her knees and the Litchi Hikari Club shirt that hugged her fit frame and ample bosom and was currently brushing out her long black hair with the comb she'd managed to find in the linen closet close by. On the counter, she had the silver razorblade waiting. Ravenna decided that now was as good a time as any to start on removing the collar. Satisfied that her hair was no longer sticking up in every direction, she set down the brush and double checked to make sure the door was locked before she took the blade into her hand.

Ravenna did her best to still the shaking of her hand, holding off the memories associated with this tiny piece of metal as she carefully raised it to the coarse nylon of the collar, slowly cutting it. Ravenna instead forced herself to think about the strange circumstances in which she had awoken. She'd been shocked to find herself with only a towel around her body and even more frightened when she'd noticed a strange wetness between her legs that wasn't there before. Ravenna's first big scare was the possibility that she'd been raped in her sleep, but after careful inspection (in the bathroom of course), Ravenna assured herself that no such thing had occurred. She wasn't sore or having a hard time walking, which was a relief. Still, the fact that someone had had the audacity to carry her out of the bathroom partially naked...

It was even more infuriating to know that that someone was Kane.

She hissed in pain as the corner of the blade nicked her neck, officially bringing Ravenna back to the present. As if the memories weren't bad enough... Ravenna stopped cutting abruptly, opening the medicine cabinet and hiding the blade under a pile of bandages. Hopefully, Kane and Bearer wouldn't think to look under there if they got suspicious. She stole a glance to herself in the mirror, observing the nick. It was no bigger than the tip of a pin but damn was it bleeding like no tomorrow. It amazed Ravenna that the tiniest wounds always seemed to let out more blood than needed. She only hoped it didn't trickle down enough to stain her favorite shirt.

Black hair swayed as Ravenna shook her head and turned to leave the bathroom. She didn't want to stay in there long enough to make someone wonder what was going on. Slowly Ravenna turned the handle and opened the door...

And almost wished that she could jump out the window right then and there.

There, waiting with his back against a wall, was Kane. Ravenna froze in mid-step, unsure how or if she should proceed over the threshold. Her right hand still held the gold doorknob in a vise grip, arm tensed to slam the door again. But a simple wooden door would provide little protection and even less resistance in holding off a man of Kane's size. If he really wanted to, Ravenna knew without a shadow of a doubt that he could reduce the door to kindling in order to get to her. Her heart raced as she weighed and reweighed possible courses of actions and their consequences. Ravenna could close the door and attempt to get out the window, but for how long would the door withstand Kane? She could make a break for the gate's door, but there was no way she was opening it without getting some nasty cuts and infections. Dread filled her gut as Ravenna realized that either way, Kane had her trapped.

She drew a shaky breath and came out slowly, formulating a plan best she could given the circumstances. Ravenna started to walk towards the bed, but quickly decided against it. Oh no, there was no way out of hell she was giving him _any _ideas of that form. _I'd much rather get out of this with my virtue intact, thank you very much. _Ravenna played it safe and stood a few feet away from Kane, keeping as much distance between herself and the seven foot man as possible. Neither said a word to each other for a good five minutes.

'Anyone tell you that you sleep too much?" Kane suddenly asked, walking closer to Ravenna. The dark haired Diva took a step back instinctively but Kane just stalked right after her.

'So what if I do? It's not like I have anything better to do," Ravenna snapped, keeping her eyes on Kane the entire time. Anger flashed in those mismatched orbs of his. 'And what possessed you to come down and question my sleeping habits anyways?"

'Like you said, it's not like I have anything better to do," Kane replied with a grin, effectively backing Ravenna against the opposite wall and placing his hands on either side of her face. Ravenna blinked and glanced away from his stare, biting her lower lip nervously. So much for not giving him any ideas...

'Did I say you could look away?" he growled, grabbing Ravenna's pale face and forcing her to look back at him. Ravenna's eyes remained averted from his, refusing to look at him. 'Look at me... Ravenna. Don't make me have to hurt you." At that Ravenna glanced up at him, surprised to find his face mere inches from hers. For God's sake, did he have to be _that _close to her? And that breath! Ravenna tried to jerk her head away from Kane, but that would more than likely end with her having a broken jaw. And Ravenna didn't put it past Kane to deny her medical attention if need be. Dark eyes connected with his and held that cold stare of Kane's fearlessly and stubbornly.

'If you came down here to say something to me, then tell me what it is or get the hell out," Ravenna hissed once Kane pulled back from her face, still not relinquishing his hold on her.

'_You're _not the one in charge anymore, Ravenna," Kane was quick to point out. His eyes wandered down to the collar around her neck and smirked in satisfaction. 'Until I say otherwise, you're **my **property." Ravenna gritted her teeth in anger, her fists clenching and shaking. She contemplated attempting to knock him out, but she knew that was too big of a gamble. Even if Ravenna did manage to land a blow or two, it would only serve to piss off the big red monster. And God only knew what he would do to her then. She wisely decided not to take that risk.

'Then you'd best indulge yourself with that thought as long as you can. My brother **will** find me, and when he does, you're going to _regret_ this!" Ravenna growled. Kane only laughed heartlessly at that.

'Are you so sure about that?" he asked with an amused grin. Ravenna's lip twitched as she took a slightly shakier breath and released it, a long strand of hair falling over an equally dark eye.

'I'm _very _sure about that." Kane's grin vanished as quickly as it had appeared, his brow furrowing in apparent anger. 'Oh, I'm sorry. Did I hit a nerve?" Ravenna asked, batting her eyes. He wasn't the only one that knew how to get to under someone's skin. The hand that had held her face seconds before was on her throat in an instant, blood running right to Kane's face. Hit a nerve? More like poked the beast one too many times and earned a one way ticket to a world of pain. Ravenna grabbed the hand that was currently threatening to choke the life out of her, but otherwise showed no fear. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction.

'You think you're so cute, don't you?" he said through gritted teeth. 'You and your brother are _too _much alike; you both think it's fun to underestimate _**me**_. I don't doubt that your twin is going to come looking for you. And I don't doubt that I **will **destroy him and make his life a living hell before sees his pretty sister's neck snap like a twig right in front of him.

'Unless," all indications that Kane had been angry faded as quickly as it had appeared, and his free hand had raised to her face, beginning to stroke her hair from Ravenna's pale complexion. 'Unless you can convince me **not **to." His thick fingers toyed with the strand that had fallen into her face slowly, wondering at the way the light made it shine a beautiful midnight blue. A look of pure disgust crossed Ravenna's face when he said that. She didn't need to ask what kind of convincing Kane had in mind.

'The only _convincing_ you're getting from me is an ass kicking you'll never forget if you don't back the hell off," Ravenna spat fiercely, having had just about enough of this. Kane never even moved. He certainly had a death wish. Ravenna's muscles tensed all at once, her fists clenched so tightly that her nails were cutting into her skin.

Kane studied Ravenna's body language and smiled maliciously. Oh yes, he could see why Cody Rhodes and countless others were so smitten with this girl now. She was fierce, strong, and sexy as hell when anger contorted that pretty face of hers. And all without a trace of fear. He tucked the strand of hair he'd previously toyed with behind the delicate curve of her ear, the back of his hand caressing the smooth, uncovered right cheek.

'You know, I've always wondered why you wear black all the time. It's a pity if it's because you're not a virgin anymore." Kane was so tall, so imposing that he had to bend his head to whisper into her ear. 'I've always wanted a virgin sacrifice, after all."

Something in Ravenna snapped as she raised her fist and put all of her strength into a punch straight to Kane's face... at least, that's what she was intending. Kane easily caught her swinging fist, pinning it along with her other wrist above her head. When Ravenna's arms were rendered useless, she used her second line of defense; her legs. With an angry grunt, she kicked him squarely in the crotch. Kane released her in favor of backing off, giving Ravenna a narrow opening of time to make a break for the gate. A sliver of hope ran through her when Ravenna saw that the padlock had not been locked properly.

Not wasting a second, she kicked open the door, a shrill alarm filling the stone basement and echoing off the walls. Ravenna ignored it and flung open the basement door, surprised that she'd yet to be shocked by the collar around her neck. Even if it had gone off, it wouldn't have stopped Ravenna. Pure adrenaline was coursing through her body, carrying her onwards up two flights of stairs and into a small kitchen. Right behind her, Kane's angry footsteps that were thundering after her up the stairs sounded like those of a charging rhino. Quickly, she grabbed a nearby chair from the bar and jammed it under the doorhandle, praying that it would last long enough for her to get away.

Ravenna ran through a doorway, not really caring where she was going as long as it led to a door that led away from this place. Her ears were filled with the frantic beating of her heart which felt like it was about to beat right out of her chest. She nearly screamed when she heard the sound of wood splintering and Kane's enraged yells coming from the kitchen.

'Oh no," she gasped, panicking. Just a few feet away from her was a sliding glass door. Beyond that was an expanse of woodland. Ravenna charged right towards the door, not caring about opening it. Instead, she threw herself right through the glass, shielding her face and neck with her arms. Ravenna fell to the ground with a groan before stumbling to her feet and making a break for the treeline.

She had almost reached them when it happened; a strong, powerful shock that tore through her throat, sending Ravenna tumbling to the ground gasping for air. _No! I'm not going back!, _Ravenna vowed, dragging herself towards the woods. _He's not taking me back! _Dark eyes looked behind her, seeing the angry form of Kane stalking right towards her. Even from so far away, Ravenna could hear his angry breathing, see and feel the rage that oozed from his pores. Rage that threatening to suffocate her with its intensity...

Fighting through the pain, Ravenna tried in vain to tear the collar from her neck while trying desperately to drag herself away from the big red monster until the pain was just too much and she collapsed back to the ground. She couldn't have gone an inch further when her hair was roughly pulled up and back away from the woods.

'Nice try Ravenna," Kane laughed coldly, wrapping a heavy arm around her waist and dragging her back towards the house. 'But you're _**not**_ getting away that easy."

'Go to hell, you son of a bitch!" Ravenna screamed, his voice hoarser than she would have liked. That shock collar was damn good at its purpose. Kane only squeezed her tighter when Ravenna would have wriggled free, laughing at her pain when Ravenna struggled for breath. He'd never admit it, but Kane was impressed by Ravenna's escape attempt. It wasn't everyday that he was damn near brought to his knees by a woman. That throbbing pain in his nether regions would last for quite some time before subsiding. But as calm as he may have appeared, inside Kane was seething with rage. Was this girl _insane_? Didn't she understand that what he meant by her being his property? Well tonight she would learn. He'd make sure of it. And after tonight, she'd think twice before running from him again.

Ravenna, however, had other ideas. The second he was stepping through the shattered glass door, Ravenna managed to slip away again and attempt to run back towards the woods. This time her agility failed her and Ravenna was suddenly away of several pieces of glass that were embedded into her legs. The adrenaline rush more than likely numbed her to the sharp little pains in her calves and shins. Damn it's a wonder that her feet weren't cut all to hell either; she'd scarcely noticed that her feet were bare. Nonetheless, Ravenna tried to run but was grabbed by her hair and forcefully thrown into the house.

'I suggest you stop trying my patience," Kane said through gritted teeth his hand closing around her throat in a vice grip. Ignoring her struggles for air, he started for another part of the house that was closed off from the rest by a large steel door. Ravenna stopped struggling long enough to see that he was not going towards the basement as she had thought, but to a much darker and more menacing room. Her eyes widened as she made out shapes of chains hanging from the ceiling and other pieces of furniture that didn't look like anything she'd seen before. A small gasp escaped Ravenna before she could stop it, her struggling becoming more violent with renewed strength.

'No!" she screamed , Kane releasing her throat in favor of holding her once again by the waist with her arms pinned to her sides. 'Let me go, you bastard! Let go!"

'Maybe you should have thought things through before you ran from me," Kane whispered into her ear, laughing as he slammed the door closed. The house became eerily silent soon after, Ravenna's screams never making it past the steel door.


	11. Punishment

**Author's Note- ****WARNING! **This chapter contains a torture scene that's not intended for the kiddies. If you're offended by such, it's probably a good idea if you skip the first part this chapter.

* * *

Even as she watched the door close before her eyes, Ravenna continued to fight the arm that held her, the will to survive and see her brother again driving her. With near inhuman strength, she somehow managed to slip out of Kane's grasp and ran to the last place she had seen the door, feeling around frantically. The room was deathly silent save for Kane's cruel laughs. It was as though he found the whole situation to be the most humorous thing he'd ever seen...

_Damn it! Where's the fucking door__,_Ravenna thought, grabbing anything that resembled a handle or latch, praying she got out before-

A strong hand grabbed her hair and pulled Ravenna back, ignoring her cries of pain and pleas for release from the hell she'd been forced into. Her head hit something hard, stars flashing before Ravenna's eyes as she tried to banish the pain. Faintly, she became aware of being pulled to an upright position, her arms being wrenched above her head by an unseen force. _It got so quiet in here, _Ravenna thought, suddenly realizing that Kane's laughs had faded into the darkness itself...

The silence was broken by something whirring through the air before a sharp snap followed by a stinging pain in her back echoed. She gasped more out of surprise than actual pain, having been successfully caught off guard.

'Tell me Ravenna," Kane's voice said from somewhere behind her. 'What were you thinking when you ran away? Where did you think you were going to go?" Ravenna remained silent. Bad mistake. Her back arched when she was hit again. Ravenna grit her teeth, realizing what he was doing to her. Kane was whipping her with the intent of hearing her scream for mercy. If he thought she was going to give him that kind of satisfaction, he was sadly mistaken. 'I asked you a question!" He hit her with the whip twice more before Ravenna forced herself to speak.

'I was thinking that I would rather burn in hell before I help you betray my brother," she hissed, unable to mask the pain in her voice. So this is what horses felt like when their trainers smacked them... An amused chuckle from the big red monster made her wonder if that was the best choice of words. Ravenna thought that he would stop with the whipping, but she was wrong. Over and over, the whip connected with her back. She tried to contain her screams, not wanting to give Kane the satisfaction, but the longer he continued with the brutal torture the harder it became to remain silent. Her back felt wet and with every slap of the whip, Ravenna felt the wounds widen.

Just as suddenly as it began, the whipping stopped. Ravenna had a brief moment to catch her breath that was currently tearing in and out of her lungs before gasping in shock when something was poured onto her open wounds. Her body was suddenly assaulted with white hot pain as Ravenna twisted violently, arching her back reflexively. She shook, biting her lip to stop the screams of agony. Something equally cold was poured onto her next, efficiently soaking her from head to toe. The cuts from the whip continued to burn like hell, and her nose was filled with the horrible stench of gasoline.

_What the hell is this bastard thinking?_, Ravenna thought, trying to pinpoint exactly where the seven foot giant was in the room. She didn't have to look too hard; his face was suddenly illuminated by a lighter, carefully adjusting the flame until he was satisfied with the brightness before bringing it close to her face. _First he whips me, then dumps something on my back. Now he just __poured gas on me and now he's bringing a lighter into the mix..._

Oh. Shit.

Ravenna's blood ran cold as she recognized in horror what Kane's intentions were. She'd said she would rather burn in hell than help him. Kane was about to grant that wish. Ravenna tried to twist away from him, but the bonds that held her hands above her held good and she couldn't... couldn't get away from that fast approaching flame. Kane's misallied eyes never left her face, gauging her reaction as that tiny flame threatened to set her face covering alight. Ravenna steeled herself and glared back into that intense gaze of his. Pleased that he had her undivided attention, Kane lifted the lighter just inches away from her face.

'Your screams are beautiful, Ravenna. I wonder what they'll sound like if I set you on fire," Kane began, breaking his stare from Ravenna long enough to glance at the flame dancing before both of their eyes. 'But I'm not interested in causing any long term damage... _yet_." Ravenna wasn't sure if she heard him right. Her eyes narrowed in confusion. 'The next time you run away, I swear to God... I **will **send you up in smoke." The orange glow from the lighter cast intimate shadows across Kane's face, seeming to illuminate his pale complexion. He looked much calmer, but Ravenna knew that could change in a flash. She started to ask what he meant, but wisely thought better of it. With her current luck, Ravenna would damn well say something that would land her in the burn unit in some hospital... provided she even got to one.

'Now I want you to listen, and listen good to every word I say; in case you haven't realized, I'm not someone that you can just walk over and think I'll let you get away with it. Consider yourself lucky that you actually got away with that little escape of yours a while back." Kane started. Ravenna let herself relax slightly. At least he wasn't planning on burning her to a crisp anytime soon. However, though he may not be intending to at the present time, Ravenna was careful not to let her guard down too much. 'Your brother's first mistake was meddling in things that didn't concern him and now... he's going to pay dearly for that. And you're going to help me. Whether you want to... or... _not_." Ravenna blinked several times and decided to risk asking a question.

'Say that I did agree to help you, and I never said that. What _exactly _will you do with me after?" she muttered, masking the trepidation in her voice. Kane smirked and stroked her cheek with his free hand.

'I haven't decided yet," Kane answered, making Ravenna more and more uneasy. 'It all depends on how good you behave for me." He brought his face close to hers, close enough that his lips brushed against hers as he talked. As close as he was, Ravenna was faintly aware of his natural scent, a tantalizing smell that she had no good description for. Against her will, she felt her body responding to the closeness. 'But running away from me _isn't _what I call good behavior."

'What are you going to do then?" Ravenna couldn't help the fact that her lips were brushing against his, just as she couldn't help the fact that his scent was threatening to be her undoing. Damn Nature! Her body tensed when Kane withdrew the lighter at last, the flame dying out before he tossed it somewhere to the side. Both hands now free, he ran them up and down her sides, clearly testing her. On any other occasion, Ravenna would have just kicked him again in the forbidden zone just to make him back off, but that wasn't an option. As long as she was hanging here covered in gasoline, Ravenna couldn't take a risk in Kane going through with his original idea. _Maybe if I make him think that I'm going to do what he asks, _Ravenna thought, formulating a quick plan. _Then I might, just might, be able to escape next time. _And so she grit her teeth and allowed the touches to continue until Kane decided that he'd had enough and pulled away. In the infinite black of the room, it was impossible to know for certain where Kane was exactly. She never even heard his retreating footsteps until the unmistakable sound of the door screeching broke the deafening silence.

'You're just leaving me here?" Ravenna cried. Kane stopped in his tracks and turned back to Ravenna, a sick smile crossing his pale features.

'What's the matter? Missing me already?" Ravenna eye twitched in annoyance. _In your dreams. _'If you can prove that you can be a good girl, I'll give you another chance and let you out. For now, I'm giving you some time to think about what you did. But don't worry," Kane stepped over the threshold and started to close the door before he stopped. 'I promise I won't forget about you, _precious_."

'You bastard! You can't just leave me here!" Ravenna screamed, trying to jerk away from what was holding her upright, Kane's peals of laughter only serving to enrage her further. Once again, her yells of purest rage never made it past the steel door that was slammed and locked behind the big red monster. Ravenna's breath was tearing in and out of her lungs as her body shook with anger. A loud scream escaped from her, wrath holding her in a death grip as Ravenna furious jerked her arms to free them, stopping only when it felt like she was pulling something out of its socket.

After that attempt, she leaned back with the intentions of assessing what kept her captive, but shrieked in surprise when her aching back connected with nothingness. She swung back and forth for a second, her feet scrabbling to get a better grip on the floor. The more she moved her legs, however, the deeper the glass shards seemed to go. Ravenna started to bend down and remove them, but was stopped short by her tied hands.

'Son of a **bitch**!" Ravenna cried. Damn did those things hurt! It was bad enough that she was being held captive by a man probably more mentally unstable than herself, but this was just karma at its worse. Ravenna chewed her lip until it bled, trying to focus on something other than the stinging pain. _I know he has no regard for human life, _Ravenna thought. _But the least he could have done was get these things out! _As if he would. Just what was it that was making her think that he would want to do that after her little escapade? _Don't even think about putting on an act and promising the best sex of his life if he'd just do you a little favor. _

At that thought, Ravenna couldn't help but hang her head in shame. Her body was still quivering from that brief contact that she'd had with Kane. A deep flush settled over Ravenna as she closed her eyes, trying to banish the memory from her mind. This was her captor! She had no business enjoying **anything **that Kane did to her! But there was the undeniable fact that he had a profound effect on her; the more Ravenna thought about him, the more uncomfortable she became as an unsettling wetness emerged between her legs. She shook her head. No, no. Ravenna couldn't give in to him. She had to stay strong for Rowan.

_Rowan…_ At the thought of her twin, Ravenna felt unfamiliar tears prickling her eyes. Where was he? Was he alright? And what about Cody? Were they both looking for her? Ravenna couldn't know for certain.

'Rowan, please help me…" Ravenna whispered as her tears slipped down her cheeks, hoping against all odds that her twin was alright and was searching for her and by some miracle she could mentally lead her twin to her. 'Please don't forget about me again…" With this, Ravenna closed her eyes and allowed herself to do something she hadn't done in many years.

She prayed.

* * *

When someone finally began to stir back in the hospital room, it was Cody Rhodes. With a violent coughing attack, he emerged from the long, dreamless sleep that held him hostage. _Where am I, _was his first thought, sleepy green eyes following a long tube running from his hand to a bag hanging beside his bed. A blonde nurse poked her head around a curtain and smiled when she noticed the man was awake.

'Good evening, Mr. Rhodes! How are you feeling?" Cody coughed several times, clearing his throat.

'I'm good apart from this cough," he said in a scratchy voice. A sympathetic look crossed the nurse's face.

'You and your friend have given us quite the scare. You've been out of consciousness for two days now." Cody's eyes widened.

'Two _**days**_?" his voice croaked. What he wouldn't give for a glass of water.

'Try not to speak too much, Mr. Rhodes. I'll go get you some water and see if I can have the doctor come by to discuss your condition." Cody nodded and waved in reply, rubbing his throat carefully. He glanced over to the prone form of Rowan laying in the other bed. He looked to be in bad shape; like Cody, Rowan had an I.V. in his right arm, the blankets drawn over his waist with only his bare chest visible. His skin was profoundly paler too.

'Rowan," Cody called, trying to raise his voice loud enough so that the other man could hear him. 'Rowan, you alright?" The other Nokomis twin never responded, only groaned unintelligibly. Cody sat up with the intentions of getting up to wake him, but was stopped short by an older woman whom he assumed to be the doctor holding a plastic cup of ice water.

'I don't think that's a good idea for you to be up and walking at the moment, Mr. Rhodes. Your body is still weak after laying down for a couple of days." She began in an airy voice, handing him his water and checking his vitals. Cody nodded and drank the icy liquid, sighing.

'If I may," he began, his voice slightly better. 'How is Rowan? Is he going to be OK?" The doctor glanced to Rowan with a look of concern.

'At this point in time, it's really touch and go. He's been trying to wake up, which we don't want until the swelling around his brain decreases. Right now, Mr. Nokomis' body needs to focus on reducing it, but if it doesn't, we may have to take other measures." Judging by the way she said other measures, Cody guessed they were considering surgery, maybe even life support. His mind suddenly settled on Ravenna.

'Have you tried calling his twin sister?" Cody asked. The doctor shook her head.

'We've been trying to reach her as well as his brothers, but we've not been able to contact them. But, where are my manners? I'm Dr. Sorkin. I'll be your physician during your stay. I assume your throat is still sore?" Dr. Sorkin asked, examining the purple hand print on his neck carefully.

'Yeah. It hurts worse than when I had strep throat." Cody affirmed. Dr. Sorkin nodded in understanding.

'That is to be expected with the injury you sustained. Don't worry, the scratchiness and soreness will pass in time. I'll arrange for your nurse Athena to supply you with pain killers should you need them. And forgive me, Mr. Rhodes, but I have to ask- what exactly happened? Do you recall what caused both yours and Mr. Nokomis' injuries?"

'Please call me Cody, Dr. Sorkin. Mr. Rhodes is my father. And to be completely honest… I don't remember everything exactly. It's all fuzzy." The doctor nodded.

'I see. Well, judging by this large hand print shaped bruise, you appear to have been choked. And by a very large person at that. If you like, I can contact the authorities, but I don't believe they'll have much to go on if you cannot remember the incident." Cody shook his head.

'Thank you. I'll let you know as soon as I start to remember something." The doctor smiled and turned to leave.

'Well, if you need anything, just press your call button for Athena. I'll arrange for her to bring you some dinner. I'm sure you must be hungry," Dr. Sorkin said with a smile. Cody smiled and nodded, not wanting to strain his voice any further by talking. The woman soon turned and left without another word, leaving Cody only with his thoughts as they wandered to the night in question. He could vaguely remember Ravenna being with him while they were running from...

'Oh my God," Cody whispered, his eyes widening. _Think harder, _he thought. _Ravenna was there, Ravenna was there... _Yes, Ravenna was there. He knew that, but if she was there, where was Ravenna now? Was she in the hospital too? No, if she was, the doctor wouldn't have said that they were trying to contact her. So where could Ravenna have gone?

'We were running from someone... but who was it?" Cody racked his mind over and over for several minutes, trying to piece together his fragmented mind. The more he thought, the more his head began to throb. He sighed and leaned back against the pillows, Cody's strength fading fast. _Maybe if I get some sleep, I'll remember something. _With that in mind, Cody closed his eyes and gave in to the pull of sleep.

And dreamed of Ravenna.

* * *

All was silent throughout the house save for the sounds of a cell phone ringing off the hook. It stopped abruptly, whoever was calling greeted only with a voice mail.

'You've reached Ravenna Nokomis' cell. I'm not here at the moment, so leave your name and number and I'll get back to you soon."

'Ms. Nokomis, this is Dr. Elizabeth Sorkin from the Los Angeles Metropolitan Hospital. I'm calling to inform you of your brother Rowan's hospitalization as well as his current condition. At this time, he has severe brain swelling that we're working on trying to reduce as quickly as possible. He's in critical, but stable condition, however we're worried that it may cause some long term damage. We need you to come as soon as you get this message. In the event that his condition worsens, we need to have a next of kin nearby to discuss future treatment. Thank you."

Kane smirked as he listened to the message, knowing full well that Ravenna was expecting her brother to come running the instant he realized she was gone. From the sounds of it, that wasn't going to happen anytime soon. He'd already gotten the green light to take a few weeks off, and the responding email from Stephanie McMahon had had similar news for Ravenna. His well thought out plan was working out better than he'd expected. Misallied eyes up at the nearby clock. It was already 11 o'clock at night. He'd leave the black haired Diva where she was for a day or two. Later, he'd test her and see just if he'd managed to break Ravenna. If not, he'd just have to resort to other measures.

Kane smiled at the idea as he ascended some stairs to his room. At least after tonight there wouldn't be anymore running away on her part.


	12. Facades

**Author's Note: **Before I get this going, I would like to extend special thanks to Lilywhite25 for her simply **AMAZING **alt. universe fic for _Sins Of The Brother_. Seriously check her out! She's relatively new here to , so go say hi! Tell her the Ninja sent you. =) And be sure to read _A Light In The Dark_ if you're interest in how the last chapter could have ended.

* * *

Kane was furious.

Not at situation itself, but the girl he held captive downstairs. He took off his shirt and threw it across his room, not giving a damn where it landed at the present time. Kane had spent the entire week with her, torturing her in ways that would make even the most seasoned masochist cringe. He'd clearly been wrong in the assumption that Ravenna would break after the beating he'd given her. Kane suddenly found himself wishing that he had gone through with his previous threat of burning her alive.

He continued to pace like a caged animal, breathing heavily until he forced himself to sit down on his bed. Jaw and fists clenched, Kane furrowed his brow and tried to clear his murder red mind to think. He'd already tried everything that he knew to try; whipping, flogging, water torture, nothing was working! Ravenna took the punishments he so cruelly inflicted upon her with a stoic face, never so much as screaming anymore. Almost as though she had become used to them...

Kane rested his head in his hands, anger continuing to run through his veins. There had been others- Tori, Chyna, Lita- who had been stubborn and opposed him at first, but all three of them paled in comparison to Ravenna. For once in quite some time, Kane was at a loss at what to do. For one, he was eventually going to have to let her out. Eventually he would have to let her out and provide proper nourishment for her. She was going on, what? A week and a couple days without food? Water hadn't been an issue; Kane had given her plenty of that the last time he held her head under water, depriving her of air until he brought her back up, the ebony haired Diva at the brink of drowning. He was pretty sure she got a large mouthful of water on that occasion.

Kane shook his head and began unlacing his boots, his mind continuing to wander until he froze in the act of removing his other boot, trying to recall what had made him stop in the first place. His room was situated right above where Ravenna was kept hanging. He could hear every sound she happened to make. Then he heard it, so soft that he almost couldn't, but he heard it- a sob. Kane made a sound and stood up, listening hard. The next time that he heard it, the sob was a little louder. Realization was starting to kick in as he descended the stairs where the sounds abruptly stopped, muffled behind the heavy steel door. That sound was universal. He'd know what it meant no matter who it came from.

Ravenna was crying.

He opened the door slowly as to not betray his presence and listened. This time the sound was a sniffle, then another sort cry followed by incoherent words in a foreign language. Slowly he started to enter the room, freezing when he heard the sound of something breaking and then flipping on a switch. Kane could do little more than stare at the scene before him.

Somehow, Ravenna had managed to slip out of the cuffs that kept her suspended in the center of the room and was slumped on the floor with something in her hand. Kane couldn't see what it was from where he was standing, but whatever it was, Ravenna was using it to open her veins in both arms. Crimson blood flowed down pristine skin, staining the floor beneath them both. Kane moved quickly and grabbed Ravenna's hand before she could cut herself again with the mysterious object she held with a death grip. Holding it up to the light, Kane noticed that it was a piece of glass. But where had it come from? He noticed her legs were also bleeding from small, horizontal cuts. Then he looked down around her.

There was pieces of bloodstained glass on either side of Ravenna in various sizes. The one she had in her hand was long with a pointed edge that she was using to cut her wrists. Upon examination, the wounds weren't deep enough for her intended purpose, but deep enough to cause some heavy bleeding. Sighing, he gathered Ravenna up in his arms and carried her out of the room. Ravenna settled herself against him, too weak to put up too much of a fight. He passed the kitchen with its newly installed glass door, the living room and study before entering a communal bathroom, flipping on the switch with his elbow and settling her down on the toilet when he flipped the lip down with his foot.

Ravenna watched with tired dark gray eyes as he wet a washcloth and cleaned the blood off of both her arms and legs, drying them with equal carefulness. Strands of blue black hair hung in her face, eyes never leaving his face as he went about applying medicine and gauze to her injuries, taping it in place. When he'd finished, Ravenna withdrew her arms, looking away from him in favor of staring into space. Knelt down at her side, Kane's massive frame made her look more like a fragile porcelain doll than an actual human being. Misallied eyes searched her face, a large hand tucking her hair behind her ear. Ravenna never so much as blinked.

'What were you thinking, Ravenna?" he said in a surprisingly calm voice despite the anger still coursing through his body. Ravenna was still for a moment, then shrugged. She made a move to open her mouth and say something, but thought better of it. Both were silent for many minutes, and when someone finally moved, it was Kane. He stepped away from Ravenna and walked out of the bathroom, glancing back at her one more time. Kane decided that now was a good a time as any to test her and see what Ravenna would do if he left her alone. He stood in the hallway, waiting. Ravenna never emerged.

Kane shrugged and sauntered into the kitchen, pulling out some frozen chicken patties and putting two in a small pan to fry along with frozen french fries in the oven. He still hadn't seen or heard Ravenna come out of bathroom. Then again, as weak as she was, chances were that Ravenna didn't have the energy to force herself to get out. He in turn forced her out of his mind as he finished throwing something together for both of them to eat, plating the food and clearing a place for them in the breakfast nook. He grabbed two Cokes from the refrigerator and put them there too before going to get Ravenna.

Sure enough, she was in the same place that he'd left her, tears still running down her cheeks soaking the veil that hid the left side of her face from him. Ravenna blinked and jerked when he picked her up again, but otherwise let him carry her. At least she wasn't fighting him for the moment. He set her down inside the nook, opening her Coke and taking a seat across from her. Ravenna looked down at the food after a moment, like she had never seen it before, then slowly began to eat as hunger took over. Both remained silent save for the sounds of the falling rain outside the window.

Kane finished first, setting his plate to the side and watching as Ravenna also finished with shaking hands. Clearly, judging from the occasional glances and slight shivering, Ravenna was expecting him to punish her for her attempt at taking her own life. She certainly didn't put it past him. Ravenna took a small sip of her Coke and looked away from his stare.

Kane, on the other hand, wasn't planning on punishing her at all. He'd just had a better idea on how to break her; in this fragile state of hers, Ravenna was more pliable than before. Her body may be broken, and that stubborn spirit of hers was hanging on by a thread. But her _emotions_... she was crying right in front of him. She had to be broken emotionally somehow. Kane intended to find out one way or the other. If violence wasn't going to work, then showing affection might do the trick. After all, using emotion to manipulate someone usually worked quite well.

Sometimes his brother **was** a good source of inspiration. _Sometimes_.

Slowly, he reached for one of her hands, his fingertips running along the tops carefully. Ravenna's hand jerked reflexively, but otherwise remained still. Her dark eyes watched as Kane's larger hand enclosed around her much smaller one. She cocked her head slowly, not understanding his intentions as she glanced from his hand to that piercing gaze. Kane slowly threaded their fingers together, further puzzling Ravenna.

'Ravenna," Kane murmured, capturing her chin in his free hand and urging her to look at him again. Dark gray met his misallied orbs slowly, tears still clouding her vision. 'I will _never _hurt you like that again unless you give me a reason to. I'm going to give you a chance to stay here with me, but if you run away again, you're going back in there. Understand?" Ravenna searched his face, hesitating. With a slow intake a of breath, she nodded. Kane smiled and brushed away the parts of her hair that had fallen back into her face. 'Good girl." He stood up and pulled Ravenna to her feet. She followed him without a sound.

Never relinquishing his hold on her, Kane led her back to the bathroom. Releasing her hand, he reached for some towels and a washrag from the nearby shelf and set them down on the toilet, then turned on the water to a comfortable setting. He turned back to her, holding her face in his hands.

'I'll bring you a nightshirt when you're done. Make sure you don't scrub your back too hard," he said, releasing her and walking out of the bathroom. When the door closed Ravenna glanced back at it, then looked away. With a shaky sigh, she carefully removed her clothing, dropping each article to the floor until she was naked, then folding up her face covering and setting it to the side. Once she was in the shower with the curtain closed, Ravenna released a sigh of relief. Thank the unseen forces of the world he actually bought that! She wasn't sure how much longer she could keep up the act of 'broken captive'. At least he bandaged up her arms. Damn did that glass hurt!

'That was close," she whispered quietly, shivering as the water ran down her back. The wounds inflicted by the whip, thankfully, had healed so well that there was no evidence that it'd ever happened. Ravenna paused to once again thank whoever had been listening to her prayers that she'd gotten out of that room alive. Kane had absolutely no idea how _close_ he'd come to breaking her. Ravenna shivered again from how close he'd been. The last time that he'd forced her head underwater until she caught a glimpse of the afterlife was nearly her breaking point. All she could think about was her brothers and the whole idea of never seeing them again... Ravenna had wanted to beg him to stop, wanted to give in to him and get things over with. But pride as well as affection for her twin brother forced Ravenna to endure.

Ravenna scrubbed her hair furiously, removing all traces of gasoline and blood from her hair. She had previously been worried that the shock collar would have electrocuted her, but was relieved to know now that no such thing would happen. Apparently all of them are waterproof, for never once did deadly jolts of electricity course through her.

'Would have been a nice reprieve," she mumbled, keeping her voice lower than a whisper. The last thing Ravenna needed was Kane becoming aware of the facade of submission that Ravenna had successfully fooled him into believing. This was going to be helpful when the time came to escape again.

Yes, she was still planning on running.

However, a part of her felt a strange pang of guilt at leading him on, that same part that was still shocked at his small display of affection. You could have knocked Ravenna over with a feather when he took her hand, even more so when he gently cupped her face in his hands. It was apparent that Kane was switching tactics as Ravenna was. If he couldn't break her physically, then maybe now he was trying to get to her on a more intimate level.

_Dream on, Monster Man, _Ravenna thought as she rinsed out her hair and finished washing her face and body. _But if you're looking to play that kind of game, then I guess we'll find out whose better than who._ Easier said than done. Had Ravenna already forgotten what had happened the last time she'd tried to beat him at his own game? It'd almost gotten her a chokeslam to hell, and her landing wouldn't have been anything short of painful. Hitting the mats surrounding the ring weren't all that bad. The steel ramp was painful as hell, but concrete was a different story.

She frowned in concentration when she pulled off the gauze that had been wrapped on her legs and arms, dispensing the wet material outside the shower curtain as she washed them next. Ravenna winced as she gently scrubbed her limbs with the washcloth. A couple of the shallow cuts looked bad, but not to the point where she could have killed herself.

Contrary to Kane's belief, suicide had not been her motive. Survival had. When Kane had left the room, Ravenna knew that it was just a matter of time until he found a new way to torture her. And she was absolutely certain that next time, he might kill her. There was only one way to get out of the room; pretend to have been broken. She found out that the cuffs on her wrists weren't as tight as he had thought. She managed to slip her hands through and fall silently to the floor. Once she was down, Ravenna quickly removed the glass from her legs and scattered it, keeping one of the bigger pieces to carry out her plan. First, she cut another centimeter or two on the collar, then made small cuts on her arms to make it look like she had tried to kill herself. Then Ravenna let herself lapse into a pit of false depression, forcing her mind to a darker place until tears began to fall. And Kane had fell for it, hook, line, sinker, and the whole damn pole.

As she finished washing herself, Ravenna put the final touches on her plan; she'd keep this act up until she earned his trust. Eventually she knew they would have to return to the WWE. When they met back up with the company, Ravenna would find a way to get word to Rowan and let him know she was safe. She'd need her brother to play it cool and not betray any knowledge of Ravenna's eventual escape. Only when Kane became number one contender for his title would Ravenna make her move to ensure Rowan's victory. Right after the match, they would have to make a break for it and be prepared to go into hiding until Kane lost interest, **if **he lost interest. They'd make further plans when the time came. For now, Ravenna had to take it a day at a time.

Assured by her fail safe plan, Ravenna turned off the water and reached for a towel and wrapped herself in its warmth. Before she ventured out, Ravenna felt around for her face covering. Her heart sank when she found it missing. _Oh no, _she thought, peering out through the small gape between the curtain and the shower wall. She didn't see it anywhere. This wasn't good, Ravenna thought, running a hand through her wet hair. She could cover her scars with her hair, but she couldn't hide them like that forever. _He can't see them, _Ravenna thought frantically, running her fingers across the smooth scars self consciously. _Nobody can ever see them..._

'Looking for this?" Kane's unmistakable voice broke the silence, Ravenna nearly slipping and falling in surprise. His hand entered the shower. Sure enough, her veil was right there in it. Ravenna tentatively reached for it, holding her breath. _What if he looks at me? What if he sees them? What if he doesn't give it back, _Ravenna continued to worry as long fingers enclosed around her veil and pulled it away from him slowly. Kane removed his hand without question. Ravenna sighed in relief as she fastened the pins along her hairline at the top and bottom. She calmed little by little, and opened the shower curtain.

Kane was standing by the sink, waiting with something in his hands as Ravenna stepped out of the tub, her hair falling over her shoulders. He handed her whatever he was holding and walked out the door, leaving Ravenna in peace again. She looked down at what he had given her. It was an oversized shirt, clearly meant for a man of his size. Ravenna unfolded it and looked at it critically. She was already cursing him for the fact that it was white as snow, but other than that, there wasn't anything else on the shirt. Something else, however, had fallen when she unfolded the shirt. There, hidden within, had been a pair of panties. Again, they were white.

_ I don't like the looks of this, _Ravenna thought, trying to ignore the growing sense of dread building in her gut. Whatever sick idea was running through Kane's mind... It was starting to look like Ravenna had made a big mistake in deciding to play this part of hers. Knowing he was waiting for her, Ravenna swallowed hard and forced herself to put on both articles of clothing. _It's going to be OK, it's going to be OK, _Ravenna told herself in an attempt to soothe away the uneasiness and failing miserably as she stepped out of the door, Kane nowhere to be found.

Dark eyes darted this way and that, stepping further out into the hall. She never noticed the dark figure that had stepped out from behind her, grabbing her unexpectedly. Ravenna gasped in surprise, wriggling furiously to get free. However, a week hanging inside that dark room left Ravenna significantly weaker than she should have been and she couldn't... couldn't get free.

'Shh," Kane whispered from behind, smoothing her hair from her face to whisper in her ear. 'Calm down, precious. It's just me." At the sound of his voice, Ravenna forced herself to stop fighting, drawing an approving rumble from the giant behind her. 'That's it, don't fight me. That's a good girl, Ravenna." She cringed inside, the tone of his voice sickening beyond belief. 'Do you like the shirt I gave you?" Ravenna nodded. Kane smiled against her hair.

'I knew you would. I thought you'd like wearing something of mine." His hand slipped under her shirt to cup her cotton covered mound. Ravenna gasped in surprise, but otherwise remained still. _Don't freak out, _Ravenna told herself. _Whatever you do, don't freak out. _

_ Easier said than done_, she couldn't help but add as Kane's hand rubbed her slowly.

'You look tired, precious," Kane said, not withdrawing his hand as Ravenna had hoped. 'You should go to bed, and get some rest." _Right, rest, _Ravenna thought, unable to stop the trembling that threatened to take over her. _Not while you're still awake. _Even so, she nodded her agreement slowly. Kane chuckled and finally removed his hand in favor of taking hers and leading her towards the stairs. It took everything in Ravenna to follow him when she would have jerked away and made a break for the front door. _If you do it now, God only knows what he'll do to you, _Ravenna reminded herself. She couldn't run, not yet. As long as she was with Kane, the greater her chances of meeting back up with the company and eventually Rowan were. But as long as she was with Kane...

They had reached the top of the stairs and had stopped outside of a door that led to Kane's room. He opened it up and adjusted the lights so that they were comfortably dim. His room wasn't all that bad; there was small closet off to the side, and a large bay window facing out toward the dark landscape outside, and a large California king sized bed was facing towards both wrestlers invitingly. Overhead a large ceiling fan rotated slowly, keeping the room comfortably cool. Ravenna took all of this in even as Kane led her to his bed.

Ravenna, who only stood five feet one inch tall, was only about chest high to the bed. Her legs were still sore and throbbing in pain from the glass. Unless Kane put her in the bed himself, there was no way she was-

A surprised sound erupted from her mouth before Ravenna could call it back when Kane's strong arms lifted her with ease and put her onto the dark red sheets. Ravenna sank down a bit in the mattress, astonished at how comfortable it was. Kane watched her reaction for a moment before he disappeared again and returned with more gauze and medicine for her wounds. Once again, Ravenna forced herself to be still and let him wrap up the cuts on her arms and legs, relieved when he finally relinquished his hold on her and helped Ravenna to settle back against the large pillows before covering her with the heavy comforter.

He sat down at her side for a moment, stroking the hair from her face before letting his fingers skim down her neck to the shock collar. Ravenna didn't miss that evil smirk that crossed his features as he traced the letters on the collar that signified his ownership over her. Seeing the look that had crossed Ravenna's face, he withdrew his hand and leaned in as though to kiss her.

'Goodnight _Ravenna_," Kane whispered, leaving the smallest of kisses to rest on her forehead. Ravenna could do little more than blink her eyes and watch as he left her behind in his room. She lay there for a moment, considering the change in events. Either he was showing genuine affection or Ravenna was just a damn good actress. Or they were fooling one just as much as the other. Ravenna blinked her eyes several more times and chewed on her lower lip, thinking. This all seemed too easy. First Kane actually _believed _that she had attempted suicide, bandaged her wounds and then made her a meal before sending her to the shower and to bed. Something about this just wasn't sitting well with Ravenna, one thing being that he had had the _audacity _to make her wear **white**.

His words from a week ago only added to the tenseness of the situation; _I've always wanted a virgin sacrifice..._

She swallowed and curled into a ball, hugging herself tightly. Those words sent chills down her spine. Ravenna swore to herself that she would never give up her virginity. But now, in this precarious situation, it was looking like Kane wasn't planning on taking no for an answer. And if he kept doing this to her body, Ravenna wasn't sure that she'd be able to resist him. She hated that monster. She hated him for kidnapping her and holding her here against her will. She hated him for torturing her, but most of all she hated him for arousing emotions she thought long dead. But Ravenna knew that there was a contradiction to all of this. The contradiction was there, pooling between her legs.

Angry tears of shame welled up in her dark eyes. Even though she'd done nothing directly to say so, Ravenna felt as though she'd already betrayed her brother by becoming aroused by the slightest touch from Kane. She cursed her treacherous body as she rolled onto her back. Rain began to fall on the tin roof above her, thunder booming in the distance, threatening to put her to sleep. Ravenna closed her eyes for what she planned to be only a moment, just to pray once again to the unseen deity of the world.

She ended up falling into a deep, fitful sleep.


	13. Secrets Revealed

**Author's Note: **So I want to start by saying as always, thank you for the favs and reviews. But I want to point out that sadly, Sins of the Brother is going to start coming to an end soon. HOWEVER, I have some good news; this is going to be a trilogy story. That's right; there will be a part 2. =D Now ON WITH THE SHOW!

* * *

It was nearing six in the evening as Bearer sat patiently in the hall of Amari Ishtar's office in Phoenix, Arizona, still getting over the initial shock that she'd actually agreed to meet with him so late in the day. He was currently waiting for his false credentials to clear with the older woman's secretary. Something about doctor/patient privilege. He didn't have any doubts that they wouldn't; the supplier of such had developed quite the reputation for flawless fakes, provided you could afford them. Bearer had used him quite a few times in the past to obtain anything from a fake driver's license to a passport for a much younger Kane when the youngster had wanted to train to become a professional wrestler. Once again, he was pleasantly surprised with the work of the crooked court official. He was now, for the moment, Dalton Carton, a certified psychologist sent by Vince McMahon himself and charged with the task of obtaining any and all information on Ravenna Nokomis. He hoped the source of information Bearer had found proved reliable.

The platinum blonde secretary whose body was as fake as her hair color poked her head through the door and smiled at him.

'Mr. Carton? Dr. Ishtar will see you now." she spoke. Bearer nodded and followed the young woman, his jacket slung over one arm and his black briefcase in his other hand. He looked every bit the part of a seasoned shrink from his black suit fresh from the dry cleaners to his thick glasses and freshly trimmed mustache. They passed several empty offices before they arrived outside a cheery yellow office decorated with African artifacts and paintings. Dr. Ishtar herself was sitting behind an oak desk, a colorful hair covering a bright contrast against her weak coffee colored skin that betrayed no indication of her age of fifty three. She glanced up with a smile, removing her glasses and standing to shake Bearer's hand when he was close to her. A few strands of black hair poked out from under her head covering.

'Ah! You must be Dr. Carton! It's a pleasure to meet you in person, sir! Please have a seat!" She invited with a smooth accent that gave away her South African heritage. Bearer couldn't help but smile in return, her natural magnetism felt throughout the room. He took a seat in one of the plush red and orange chairs situated in front of her desk. 'How are you enjoying your stay in Phoenix? I understand that the-" Amari paused for a moment to skim over a sticky note on her desk. 'WWE sent you here on official business?"

'Yes they did," he lied, removing a notepad and pen from his briefcase. 'We have been conducting psychological evaluations on some of our wrestlers and I've been politely asked to retrieve a file on one of the Divas." Dr. Ishtar nodded slowly.

'May I ask the name of the aforementioned wrestler?" Bearer nodded again.

'Ravenna Nokomis. I'm told you saw her as a child in the past," he said. A strange, sad look came to the eyes of the lovely African woman. She didn't say anything for a long moment.

'Ravenna... yes, I did see her for quite some time many years ago. I believe it was between the years of 1994 to 1996. I couldn't forget a name like that even if I tried." Amari stood and made her way to a nearby filing cabinet and opening one of the doors. "Ravenna was one of my most tragic and profoundly sadder cases. I didn't have a chance to speak with her directly as her aunt was quite protective over her and didn't believe that she should be placed under further stress. I didn't quite understand what she meant... until I met Ravenna face to face. Then I realized why." Bearer cocked an eyebrow as she said this, accepting the thick manila file that she handed to him after Dr. Ishtar returned to her desk.

'I'm afraid I don't follow," Bearer said.

'Dr. Carton, are you familiar with the condition known as reactive attachment disorder?" Bearer wracked his mind, but couldn't find anything to back up that he had. But he wouldn't have had a chance to answer anyways; without waiting for him to reply, Dr. Ishtar continued. 'It's a complex psychiatric disorder that affects young children. It is characterized by an inability to form attachments to caregivers, in this case parents. With this disorder, children will feel as if the world is against them and form a shell to keep everyone at bay. When that shell is threatened, they retaliate violently." she explained.

'And Ravenna has this disorder?" Bearer asked. Amari nodded.

'As much as I hate to say, yes. You see, R.A.D., as the disorder is commonly known as, is caused by a constant disregard for a child's needs for comfort, stability, and love, neglect, extreme abuse, or an early loss of a caregiver. In Ravenna's case, it was neglect... and abuse. _Severe _abuse." Dr. Ishtar paused for a long moment, as if to decide whether or not she should continue.

'When I first met Ravenna, she was... extremely detached from reality. On first glances, you'd believe her to be daydreaming when in fact she was doing the complete opposite. After suffering from such early trauma and abuse, it was my understanding that she had created a safe place in her mind that she continuously retreated to when faced with situations that reminded her of the abuse.

'I tried different tactics to try and get her to talk about what happened, but it seemed like the closer I got to making a breakthrough, the further she would withdraw until she stopped talking to me altogether. Over time, however, she did provide clues as to what happened to her through drawings her aunt would show to me in a sketchbook. Each one depicted unique events, all linked by two recurring elements." She stopped once again to rummage through her desk drawer. Once she found what she was looking for, the psychiatrist spread out three pieces of paper, still white and crisp as though new. On each was a child's drawings that were eerie even to Paul Bearer.

'Take a close look at all three and tell me if you see anything similar, disregarding the fact that they all are dark." Amari asked. Bearer leaned forward and studied each drawing carefully. One depicted a young raven with its wings tied to its sides and surrounded with what he assumed to be blood. Standing over the raven was a dark shadow figure holding what he assumed to be a weapon of some sorts in its right hand. He had to give Ravenna credit where credit was due; at such a young age, she certainly had artistic talent. Beady, shifty eyes looked to the second. This one still involved a raven, whose wings were finally free flying away from a gray house. In the doorway of the house was another dark shadow still holding something in its hand.

The third picture, Bearer was sure, would haunt him for the rest of his life. Not because of its morbidity, although it was certainly morbid given that a child drew these dark pictures. But because of the obvious grief that was both seen and felt. The raven, in this picture, had flown under the protective wings of a crow to a beautiful white owl that enveloped both under the great wingspan. Although it was more than likely meant to be a happy ending, Paul's eyes caught sight of a shadow behind the owl, watching with angry red eyes. He sat back, removing his glasses. Dr. Ishtar read his sullen expression and spoke gently.

'Ravenna was so broken on the inside that it was too painful for her to speak of what happened to her in words, so she used pictures to tell me her story. These are only three of the ten drawings that she sent to me over the course of three years. And I must admit that each of these drawings will remain with me for the rest of my days.

'I do not normally engross myself so much in a case, but with this one, I felt like I had no other choice. In my most private of moments, Ravenna would haunt my mind with her pictures. To this day, I still have to wipe away tears that fall for her. How someone could do such a thing to an innocent child is beyond me." Paul blinked once and gave Dr. Ishtar a confused stare.

'What _exactly _happened to Ravenna that made her so withdrawn?" He piped up. Amari's eyes became quite shiny at his question.

'Dr. Carton, have you ever heard of xyrophobia?" Bearer shook his head. The tired African doctor took a deep breath and began her recanting of her story.

* * *

'A fear of what?" Kane asked many hours later, voice scratchy from sleep. He'd been in a deep sleep on the couch after reading until late in the night, and had been jostled awake by the ringing of his cell phone, his father chattering away about all that he'd heard from Amari Ishtar. Mismatched eyes stole a glance to the grandfather clock nearby. 3 o'clock in the morning. His father better make this interesting or there would be hell to pay.

'Razors, specifically the blades themselves! She's so terrified of razorblades that she'll literally have a nervous breakdown if it touches her!" Bearer said so loud that Kane had to hold the phone away from his ear. He mulled this over in his sleepy mind. After a few minutes, an evil smile began to emerge on Kane's face.

'So if I take a razorblade from a razor or a utility knife and touch her with it, she comes apart just like that?" he asked.

'Just like that," Paul confirmed. A dark chuckle escaped from Kane.

'See? I knew that trip would be good for something," he couldn't help but add. This drew a raucous laugh from his father.

'Alright, you win this argument. But this isn't over, you understand? Now go back to sleep, son. You still have another two weeks with her before Vince McMahon calls you both back. Better make them count!" were Paul's last words before Kane hung up his phone and stretched out his arms. Yes, that trip was definitely worth it; now he had something new to use against Ravenna if the girl started to get stubborn with him again.

Kane stood after a moment and made to move towards the kitchen but stopped short. He tilted his head and listened hard. Ah, there it was; another cry. All went deathly silent until a loud scream broke the silence of the house. Suddenly concerned, he stormed up the stairs to see what was going on.

* * *

_R__avenna..._

_ Ravenna, wake up..._

'Ravenna!" Rowan was shaking her shoulders violently, trying desperately to awaken his twin. Ravenna moaned and slowly opened her eyes, trying to focus on her twin's voice.

'Rowan? Is that you?" Ravenna mumbled, sitting up slowly. Her twin smiled gently down at her, smoothing unruly strands of black blue hair from her pale face.

'Yeah, it's me. Are you OK?" He looked down at the bandages on her arms. 'Christ, Ravenna! What happened?" Ravenna's heart constricted at the concern in Rowan's voice. Her brother sensed the trepidation in his twin's demeanor and shook his head.

'Come on, I'm getting you out of here!" Rowan said fiercely, pulling his sister from the bed and onto her feet. Ravenna nodded and quickly, but quietly, followed her brother towards the wide open door. The Nokomis twins made their way down the hall. As they walked, Ravenna couldn't help but notice that Rowan seemed to be acting strangely. And they weren't heading towards the stairs leading downstairs.

'Rowan, why aren't we going towards the front door?" Ravenna whispered. Rowan gave her a funny look and pulled her a little closer to him.

'And just waltz right on out without Kane seeing either of us? No, we're taking a short cut- out the back window." _Right, _Ravenna thought. Of course Rowan wouldn't risk such a daring exit. But how did he get in the house in the first place? Ravenna started to ask as she spared a glance behind them. She did a double take as the hall was suddenly filled with red light. Just down the hall, a dark shadow was slowly stalking towards them. 'Rowan! Rowan, we have to go! Now!" Rowan turned and stared in the direction Ravenna was staring. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that that had to be Kane coming to stop them.

'Run!" He cried, pushing Ravenna down the hall, following right behind her. Adrenaline started pumping through her veins, giving Ravenna that extra burst of speed as both twins took a sharp turn, their exit just down the hall. Ravenna was so close to the large busted out window, close enough that she could have jumped right out, but she suddenly fell to the floor, something grabbing her leg and dragging her backwards. Ravenna twisted and clawed at the floor, trying to get a good enough grip to pull herself back to the her rapidly disappearing escape route.

'Rowan!" Ravenna screamed as her brother kept running. Her twin ignored her and went right out the window without her. 'No! Rowan, please don't leave me here! **Rowan**!" She continued her screaming even as Ravenna was forcefully flipped onto her back, her screams abruptly stopping at the sight of a much darker figure standing over her with a razorblade gleaming in the darkness. It hadn't been Kane who was chasing her... it was someone worse.

'No, no please no!" she whispered, trying to crawl backwards. The figure only smiled maliciously down at her, stalking slowly after Ravenna.

'You've been a bad little girl, Ravenna," the dark individual spoke, twirling the blade between his fingers. 'It's time for you to learn your place.." He was on her in less than a second, forcefully holding her down. 'Just like your mother learned hers."

'No, get away from me!" Ravenna screamed as her face covering was ripped from her face, taking some dead hairs with it. She instinctively raised her arms to protect herself from the blade that was coming dangerously close to her skin. The dark man swatted her arms away like they were pesky insects, and the sharp, burning pain of the blade cut into her face...

'**No**!" Ravenna screamed, her eyes snapping open as she jerked awake. She looked around her frantically, searching for her assailant in the darkness of the room. Her heart raced uncontrollably, air tearing in and out of her lungs while Ravenna held the comforter that covered her in a death grip. Footsteps thundered up the stairs, further adding to Ravenna's fright until she made out the shape of Kane coming towards her.

'Ravenna, what's wrong?" he asked, sitting down beside her. Ravenna couldn't answer him as her entire body began to shake violently, a sheen of cold sweat covering her body.

'Nothing," she said after a moment of silence. 'I'm fine..." her voice nearly broke. Dark gray met misallied orbs in the darkness, and her heart constricted from the look of concern she saw in Kane's eyes. She looked away uncomfortably, not shying away when Kane's large hand stroked her hair from her face. All at once, Ravenna became aware that she wasn't wearing her veil. She froze when Kane's palm grazed her smooth cheek and not the scarred one, praying that he couldn't see them in the darkness.

If Kane noticed anything off about her appearance, he certainly never betrayed such knowledge. He withdrew his hand after a moment, still studying her. Her eyes met his again, blinking away the cloud of tears that threatened to fall.

'I'm alright... it was just a dream, that's all." she murmured, trying to keep her voice even and steady. Kane's eyes narrowed.

'No you're not," he said, his voice deathly quiet. Ravenna had to strain to hear him clearly.

'What?"

'You're not alright if you were screaming," he explained. 'I may not care about it, but I know what's alright and what's not. And you're **not **alright." _I haven't been alright since you kidnapped me,_ Ravenna wanted to say but held her tongue. Well, earlier than that, but that was besides the point. Ravenna chewed on her lower lip, staring into space. Once again, she proved herself to be quite the conversationalist.

'So let's try this again; what's wrong?" Kane asked a little more forcefully this time. Ravenna never wanted to roll her eyes so badly before.

'I told you, nothing's wrong. It was just a dream." she said. Her voice was a bit harsher than she intended, but Ravenna had just realized that Kane wasn't looking at her face anymore. Instead, he was looking at her neck suspiciously. One hand came upwards to move her hair over her shoulder to take a closer look at what had him so interested. _He can't tell that I've been cutting on the collar... can he?_

Ravenna never foresaw Kane's next move; the hand that was now resting on her shoulder was on her throat in an instant, crushing her down into the mattress while Kane's heavy frame further restrained her. Ravenna's hands tried to pry his hand off her neck, struggling for air. Her vision blurred for a moment, but focused immediately on Kane's free hand as he held something in front of her face; the shock collar, barely held together only by a few strands of nylon.

'How stupid do you think I am, Ravenna?" he bellowed, standing and dragging Ravenna out of bed, throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her downstairs. She gasped for breath, precipitously becoming aware that Kane was making good on his previous threat; he was taking her back to that room.

'No! No, not there!" she screamed, fighting the arm that held her in a vise grip.

'I tried to warn you Ravenna- **don't **give me a reason to take you back." Kane snapped, opening the steel door and slamming it closed, stalking to one of the long, ominous walls and depositing her in the floor. He then wrenched her arms above her head and shackled her there before heading out of the room again. Kane didn't return for several long minutes, giving Ravenna a chance to contemplate her next move.

_OK, how did you get out of these things the first time, _she thought, trying to slip out of them again. Kane must have learned from his first mistake; these cuffs fit snugly around her wrists making it impossible to slip out of. What she would give for a hair pin to pick them with. Ravenna glanced around some more, quickly moving her hair with her shoulder to hide the scars on her face. On the surface there didn't appear to be anything she could use to free herself with. Unless she could jerk the chain that linked both cuffs together from the concrete wall, she was trapped and her mask of submission had just been seen right through. _So much for that idea._

Kane returned sometime later with something in his hands. Whatever it was, it was too small to see from a distance, but it was discarded on a metal table off to the side. He looked over her helpless form hanging before him and smirked as he came closer. Ravenna gasped when his hands took hold of the thin white shirt and ripped it from her body, the material practically dissolving in his hands. Thankfully, nothing too important was revealed him, but that changed the second Kane grabbed the collar of the shirt and gave another hard jerk. Ravenna's chest heaved as she turned away her head in shame, further concealing the scarred half of her face against her arm. Her eyes squeezed shut when his large palms ran over her skin, exploring her body against Ravenna's will. Kane's hands traced the underside of her breasts slowly, her nipples hardening more from the chill of the room than the sensations themselves... or, that was what Ravenna was hoping anyways.

Something cold and wet touched her side suddenly, Ravenna's eyes snapping open and looking down. The pungent scent of gasoline wafted up to her nose, choking Ravenna. She glanced up at Kane who seemed preoccupied with whatever was holding him so captivated at the moment. He caught her stare for a moment before Ravenna looked back down, trying to figure out what he was doing. It wasn't until she heard the sounds of a lighter that her eyes widened. _He was... putting gasoline on me, but only a little, _Ravenna thought. _ What the hell is he doing-_ In that instant, Ravenna's breath caught in her throat and the pungent scent of human flesh burning threatened to make her sick. Agonized screams ripped themselves from Ravenna's throat, her entire body shaking in excruciating pain.

Just as quickly as the pain appeared, it was replaced with a throbbing ache as something was smeared onto it. Ravenna didn't even bother to look down; the pain had caused her entire body to become rigid. Kane stood back and admired his handiwork. There, forever seared into her flesh, was his initial. Most degrading of all was that it was surrounded by a heart. After all, he _was _using emotion to manipulate. The skin surrounding the blackened flesh was red as blood, but otherwise unscathed. He hadn't planning on burning a large patch of skin, but the gasoline had been dripping as Kane had drawn on the design of his choice. Now it appeared that the heart was bleeding. He suddenly couldn't wait to see what it looked like when the skin healed.

Taking advantage of her shock, Kane once again tossed Ravenna over his shoulder and deposited her in a chair, releasing the cuffs around her wrists only so he could bind her once again with thick rope. At the feel of the rough material against already wounded skin, Ravenna's state of shock quickly wore off. Forgetting entirely about his previous threats, Ravenna renewed her struggles. At this point, she didn't give a damn if Kane killed her. At least then she would finally be free. A large, brutal hand grabbed her chin and forced her face to look upwards into Kane's angry eyes.

'How long did you expect me to believe that you weren't going to run away from me again, _Ravenna_?" Kane spat, every syllable of her name sounding like ice cubes dropping into a glass. Ravenna steeled herself and glared back at him.

'How long did _you _expect me to stay another minute in this house, _Kane_?" she retorted with the exact same tone as Kane had used. Her words only infuriated the big red monster further, his hand threatening to crush her jaw in its hold. 'You actually _believed _that I would give in to you? And here I thought you were smarter than that." May as well keep the insults coming, Ravenna decided. At least no one could say she didn't go down fighting. His breathing quickened, the parts of her hair that had fallen in front of her eyes being blown away from the force. 'Now while you're standing there getting angry, let's get one thing straight- I'm **not **going to stop fighting you. I'll **never **stop fighting until I get the hell outta here, and even if you try to hunt me down, you'll **never **find me. By the way, even if I don't do something, my brother **can **and **will**. He's beat you before, and Rowan will do it again, you sick son of a bitch!" Kane's look of shock gave Ravenna a sense of satisfaction. Oh yeah, now he definitelyhad a reason to be pissed off at her now, Ravenna thought as that look of shock quickly turned into full blown rage. But Ravenna kept a stoic face, refusing to back down from his unspoken challenge. Kane held her gaze for a moment longer before he started laughing. Now it was Ravenna's turn to be shocked.

'Are you sure about that?" Kane asked in a soft voice. Ravenna's eye twitched.

'I'm _**very **_sure about that, Kane!" Ravenna growled out. Kane chuckled darkly.

'Ravenna, you're not even sure if your brother even knows where you are. So how can you be sure that he'll have a chance in hell against me?" Kane asked. Ravenna didn't answer for a minute.

'Like I said, he's done it before, and he can do it again" Ravenna spoke, malice lacing her usually soft voice. Kane nodded slowly.

'OK, if you're so positive," he began, withdrawing from Ravenna in favor of walking away, only to reappear behind her, jerking her head backwards. Ravenna had to toss her hair over the left side of her face quickly to prevent him from seeing her scars. 'Then why don't you explain something to me..." Her eyes caught a glimpse of metal gleaming in the bright overhead light. 'What is it about this that makes you so afraid?" Kane brought whatever he had been holding in his hand within inches of her eyes. Ravenna nearly screamed when she saw it, terrified from the sheer proximity of the metal.

A razorblade. He was holding a razorblade, no doubt the same one she had used to cut her collar in the first place, right above her eye. Her look of fright did not go unseen by Kane.

'Oh, what's the matter? You're not so brave and confident now, are you?" Kane mocked, resting the smooth side of the blade against her cheek. Ravenna shivered and panted heavily, squeezing her eyes closed _No, no, _Ravenna thought. _Not this. Please God, not this! _Kane didn't move the blade for several long seconds, thoroughly enjoying the small sounds of fear that tore themselves from Ravenna's throat. And that _expression_... He burned the image of her head held back, her eyes closed tight and mouth wide open into his memory along with those whimpers of horror. Music to his ears.

This was the exact thing that Ravenna had been fearing apart from her scars being revealed; Kane learning of her xyrophobia and using it to the fullest against her. But how did he know? Did she somehow overlook a camera in the basement that captured her reaction to such when Ravenna found the blade in the first place? She was numb.

Ravenna bit back a sob as tears flowed down her cheeks. That sick bastard... The longer this torture continued, the louder her cries became until they were screams, Ravenna thrashing her head in an attempt to get away from that blade. But in doing so, her hair fell away from her scars, revealing them to Kane for a brief moment until they were covered up again by her hair. Kane was taken aback for a moment, withdrawing the blade but a few inches so that she didn't put her eye out with it in the process.

'You're not as strong as you would have me believe, are you Ravenna?" Kane commenced with his mocking, bringing the blade to rest under her right eye again when she stopped her thrashing. He was only caressing the skin with it, but to Ravenna, he may as well have been cutting her with it. 'I guess now is a good time for your brother to come save you, don't you think?" He kept his voice soft, very soft. Almost reminding Ravenna of the way Cody would talk to her sometimes. 'It's a pity that he doesn't know where you are; I was looking forward to fighting him again. I wonder if he even knows you're gone." Kane had blown a hole right in that wall that Ravenna kept up all the time, and now that it was open, his words were hitting exactly where he wanted them to. With each mocking sentence, more tears would flow down Ravenna's cheeks as she sobbed. She knew. Of course she knew. She knew that Rowan didn't know where she was and wouldn't know unless Ravenna managed to contact him. That wouldn't happen; Kane had already done away with her cell phone and had already disconnected the phones in the house. Until Kane decided otherwise, she was completely at his mercy.

The tears she had shed before were fake, Kane had decided. He'd fallen for her ruse and let her out, doing exactly what Ravenna had wanted him to do. She'd used her tears to gain sympathy to get out of this room. **Now** those tears were **real**. **Now** she had a _**reason **_to cry for sympathy, but Kane wasn't going to fall for her tricks a second time. He grinned in satisfaction. **Now **they were getting somewhere.

Unfortunately for Ravenna, this psychological torture of Kane's did not end anytime soon. Her shrieks and sobs increased in volume until she was screaming once again, all but begging him to stop with the torment. And it was certainly fulfilling its intended purpose; with each stroke of the blade, Ravenna felt more and more of her iron resolve begin to crumble under his merciless gaze. And the longer this continued, the harder it was to hold off the memories associated with the blade. Somewhere along the line, something within her broke and darkness overcame her vision.

Memories of that offending piece of metal flooded her mind and blinded her with images of a similar blade from a utility knife held over a lighter cutting into her skin over and over, unable to free herself from the torn t-shirts that had held her down, forcing a much younger Ravenna to endure the cruel torture. She was no longer seeing Kane standing in front of her. No, it was someone else, the same someone who plagued her with nightmares every night. The same someone who scarred her face all those years ago... The screams began in her head, the screams of herself as a child pleading for mercy from a monster just as evil as the one who threatened to cut her face with his instrument of torture. _Stop! Stop it, please!, _the girl cried, more toddler than child. _You're hurting me! Stop! _Ravenna's eyes shut, her body shaking pugnaciously.

_You're nothing more than a little whining bitch. Your biggest mistake was not dying the day you were born. The only thing you'll ever be good at is lying on your back. No one will ever want a scarred face girl..._

Kane stopped trailing the cool, flat side of the blade against Ravenna's face as soon as her dark eyes looked away from him, a pleased smirk cross his face. He did not, however, withdraw the blade from her skin.

'So Ravenna," he began conversationally, using his thumb to wipe away the trail of tears that streamed down the ebony haired Diva's face. 'Are you done fighting me or do I have to keep at this for the rest of the night?" Ravenna barely heard him through the fog of unpleasant childhood memories, but his voice was enough to cut through them and bring her back to the present, dark eyes looking up into his. She opened her mouth to respond, but quickly shut it and gave a mute nod of her head. Kane leaned in and nuzzled her throat.

'Does that mean you'll do what I ask? You'll be a good girl and never fight me again?" Ravenna nodded again, ignoring the clenching of her heart as she did. Misallied orbs looked deep into her eyes, searching for any indication of trickery, contented even more when he saw only a look of defeat in those infinitely dark orbs. Pleased that he would have no further trouble from the headstrong Diva, Kane withdrew the blade from her face and tossed it to the side.

'Good," he murmured, moving to stand before the restrained Diva and began untying her hands and feet. Ravenna refused to meet his gaze, moving her hair over the left side of her face quickly when her hand was free. It didn't spoil his mood; Kane was now one step closer to getting what he wanted. Now that he'd put a stop to her defiance, it was time to mold Ravenna into the perfect instrument to use against Rowan. He decided to resume his previous plan, earn Ravenna's trust through affection.

Once her brother realized that his precious twin sister's loyalty had changed hands, it would weaken him. He'd be so heartbroken that Rowan wouldn't be in any kind of shape to fight Kane. The match would be over in a matter of seconds, and his father would finally have his vengeance on Rowan. Kane didn't care; all he wanted was the World title. He continued to think of this as he scooped Ravenna up in his arms and carried her back up to his room, setting her down on the sheets before spooning in behind her. Ravenna tensed as he touched her, horrified at the idea of sharing a bed with him.

'Get some rest, Ravenna," Kane murmured, raising the comforter and covering them both with it, a thick muscle corded arm holding her in place against him. Ravenna didn't move for several minutes, her eyes wide with trepidation at the change in events. Inside her heart was shattering into millions of pieces, the realization of what she had said to Kane naught but minutes ago sinking in. Tears flowed anew as she closed her dark eyes, hardly daring to admit what had just happened.

He'd broken her. He'd won. She couldn't take anymore. And Ravenna hated herself and Kane all the more for it.


	14. Confession

**Author's Note**- Just a warning; Kane is going to be a little out of character for a brief moment in this chapter. This is all for good reason that will be explained in the next chapter. In case you were wondering. =)

* * *

Ravenna sighed in satisfaction as she finished brushing her long hair, pleased by the way it had chosen to fall over her left shoulder, hiding her face covering. It certainly had grown much longer since she started using Mane N' Tail shampoo a couple of months ago... The smile that had been playing at the corners of her mouth suddenly disappeared. A couple of months ago, she was celebrating her birthday with Rowan, Cody, Cole and Vincent. That seemed so long ago now. She shook her head, banishing the memories from her mind. Ravenna had other things to concern herself with, getting out of here alive one of them.

Hard to believe that she was still here.

It had now been three weeks since she arrived here, one more week until she could return to the WWE where she could finally return home... Or, at least, that was what she _wanted _to do anyways. The day after he'd broken her, Kane made it clear to her that _**this**_was her home now. Ravenna had wanted to protest about living under the same roof as Paul Bearer and the big red monster, unable to bear the idea of sharing living spaces with them. However, painful recollections of how Kane had tortured her with a razor blade squashed any and all ideas of resistance. Having endured his torment once, Ravenna didn't wish to be on the receiving end of such again.

So far, everything was... _calm_. It seemed that the smoke had settled between the two of them for the time being. As of late, Kane had hinted at the prospect of taking Rowan's title, but had said nothing directly about it. Given what he'd done to her, Ravenna had had little choice but to play along with whatever he happened to suggest to her. Having endured unspeakable acts of torture from him, Ravenna did not wish to invite such pain upon her again. She shook her head again and left the bathroom to walk down the hall to the nearby bedroom.

Although it wasn't much, Kane actually gave her the spare bedroom for her own. However, that had been after he'd warned her against trying to contact Rowan, either by word or deed. Ravenna did not need to ask what he would do should he even suspect she had done so; by his bedside, Kane kept a razorblade at all time, an unspoken dare for her to try something stupid. She shivered and flipped on her light, gazing around the small room. It was painted a soothing dark blue with an equally gorgeous view as in Kane's room. Her bed was a simple full size with stormy gray blankets and white sheets. And, of course, a closet with the clothes from her backpack as well as a few more articles of clothing that Kane had brought her. Speaking of new, there was yet _another _small box at the end of her bed, no doubt more books or clothes.

Ravenna didn't consider herself to be high maintenance, not by a long shot. She would be satisfied with something small, like a candy bar or a Cherry Coke. But almost everyday, Ravenna had come to her room to find new clothes and shoes, jewelry, and sometimes even flowers... all from Kane. Last night she'd come up to find a sketchbook along with pencils for her to entertain herself with, a box set of Dante's Divine Comedy, and an Eluveitie t-shirt she'd seen in a magazine some time ago. The more he showered her with all these expensive articles of clothing and such, the more Ravenna's suspicions grew about his true intent behind it. Not only that, but she began to feel... _smothered _for lack of better words. It almost seemed that he was attempting to lull her into a false sense of security, luring her close to him with all these gifts. However, despite the fact that she did not and never would trust him, Ravenna dared not voice her dislike of such.

And so, while she was alone, Ravenna let herself roll her eyes and pick up the box to see what the contents were **this **time. She pulled out an absolutely gorgeous black Esprit coat that fit her perfectly, a dark, ox blood colored dress that reached down to her knees, and a pair of knee high boots. Down at the bottom was a small box, no bigger than a pencil case. Interested, she pulled it out, wondering at the velvety exterior of it. All feeling of being smothered and distrust vanished along with all thought as Ravenna carefully opened the box, her breath catching in her throat at the sight of what laid within.

There, surrounded with black silk, was a silver rose pendant with a chain that resembled a barbed wire. Despite her best efforts, Ravenna couldn't help but smile. She'd seen this necklace in an old magazine lying in the breakfast nook downstairs and had admired how beautiful and delicate it looked. She'd sighed upon looking at it, knowing that she wouldn't be able to buy it herself. But Kane apparently had not missed that expression of longing on her face and done it for her. _It's beautiful, _Ravenna thought, taking it out of the box and fastening it around her neck. Like an excited child on Christmas, she rushed to the nearby mirror and looked at herself, moving her hair away to get a better look at it.

It rested at the hollow of her neck, shining in the light like a star in the sky. Ravenna fondled it gently, running her thumb on the other side and feeling slight edges from an engraving. She frowned and took it off, turning over the pendant to see what it was. All expression fled from her face as she read what had been engraved there:

_I love you. _

_ Is this some kind of sick joke?, _Ravenna wondered, her stomach knotting. Her breath came harsher than she would've liked, eyes blinking rapidly as she tried to wrap her mind about what she was reading. _He... loves me? But why? What if this is a trap? What if he's planning something else? What if..._

_ What if you love him too? _Ravenna froze at the notion. Her, Ravenna, the cold and calculating Diva that could send chills down even Big Show's spine with a single glance, **in love **with the big red monster, Kane? That sounded more than a little far fetched to her. Even so, her heart constricted at the idea. Just because she had R. A. D. did not necessarily mean that she couldn't feel _anything_, just not understand what she was feeling and how to name them. Love, however, was another story. She didn't understand what love was. In fact, Ravenna didn't know what love _is_, having been denied it most of her life. Sure, her brothers and aunt said they loved her, but no matter how much she wanted to, Ravenna couldn't say it back. How could she show and say she loved someone if she didn't feel or understand it?

Then there was the attachment part of it. Ravenna was a loner, a free spirit. How could she attach to someone when they could, and inevitably would, leave her? Losing everything at one time at such an early age was painful enough. Being away from her brother for as long as she had was a struggle in and of itself. What would being in a serious relationship with someone for awhile only to have things go sour do to her?

Ravenna ran a hand through her hair, gradually becoming more and more conflicted and confused the more she thought about it. This didn't make any sense! Memories of being back in the WWE flashed through her head, recalling times that wherever she happened to be in the arena, Kane always seemed to be nearby watching, always watching, her. If someone was bothering her, Ravenna would hear later from Jazz that Kane had dealt a brutal beating to them, threatening to kill them if they ever came near her again. And the night that he came to her aid in the ring after Ravenna had hurt herself... there had been a strange look in his eyes. A look that seemed to ask if she was alright... and when Cody had pulled her out of the ring moments later, that look had turned to one of jealousy and of hatred, with an underlying hint of longing.

The more she mulled this over in her mind, the more sense that Kane's behavior towards her in the past made. These feelings for her that he had weren't anything new; they must have been there for quite some time. Ravenna just hadn't thought to look for them. She began to wonder if his anger was actually because her inability to see his emotions for what they were had hurt him. Torturing her wasn't just to make her submit, but to punish her as well.

_I have to talk to him, _Ravenna decided, filled with a sudden urge to find answers. _I have to know this isn't a farce. _What would she do if it was? Cry? No, it wouldn't be the first time her heart had been broken. Besides, she was tough. She could handle rejection. But what if it wasn't?Ravenna took a deep breath and made her way to the stairs, descending slowly and with a purpose. As she went down the wooden stairs, Ravenna planned out what she wanted to say carefully. _Just be blunt and to the point, like always, _one part of her mind suggested. _And get taken into that room again? Hell no. _She stopped at the foot of the stairs, peering around them to the living room. Kane wasn't in there as she expected. Ravenna wandered to the kitchen. Not there either.

She was about to give up until she remembered the study. Sure enough, there was a light on, and Kane was sitting with his back to her in a large armchair. _Nothing ventured..._ Ravenna hesitated, questioning the sanity of what she was about to do. The front door was only a few feet away, inviting another escape attempt. The idea of such made manifest. But Ravenna pushed that idea out the window. No, she was going to do this. She'd said before she was going to talk to him before she went to Los Angeles. Now was as good a time as any to get answers from him. _Nothing gained..._

And so Ravenna walked to his chair quietly, hoping he didn't whip around and clock her in the face if she took him by surprise. Her next move certainly caused the first signs of the Apocalypse to pop off; exhaling, she curled her arms around his neck from behind and leaned her head against his, effectively getting his attention. Kane made a sound and turned to look at her, just as surprised at her actions as she was.

'Ravenna," he murmured, a large hand coming to rest on her arms. 'What is it?" Dark eyes that had previously been staring into space looked into his suddenly. She shrugged.

'Nothing," she started, moving to pull away from him until Kane's hand gripped her arms.

'Don't. I like where you are," Kane said. Ravenna's heart skipped more than a beat at the tone of his voice. _Maybe this wasn't such a good idea after all. _'Did you find what I left for you?" Ravenna nodded, trying desperately to force herself to say the words she so carefully planned to say, but ended up remaining silent. _A great conversationalist you are proving to be, _she scowled herself. Kane looked away and back down at the laptop Ravenna didn't see on his lap. She looked down at it curiously, seeing he was on some website revolving around fan fictions. Ravenna had read a few that some fans had sent to her out of curiosity, many involving herself with a made up male character. In all truths, they sickened her. Honestly, why would anyone think for a second that she would even _dream _of fucking on the first date?

'You know, there are some interesting stories on here about us," Kane said conversationally, stroking her arms gently. 'The fans think that you and I would make a good couple." Ravenna chewed on her lips nervously. OK, not the way she imagined this conversation getting underway, but she could work with that. Making a quick request to whatever deity was listening to her to let this go as smoothly as possible, she took a deep breath.

'I've noticed," she managed, fighting through the nervousness. She started to say something else, but choked on the words. _This is going to be a little harder than I thought. _Kane rumbled his approval, grabbing one of Ravenna's arms and pulling her around to sit on his knee, placing the computer on her lap instead in favor of pulling her up on the chair with him. One story was already open; Ravenna glanced at the summary and swallowed. By the looks of things, it was meant to be romantic with the two of them in some unknown hotel room surrounded by candles, roses, the whole nine yards. _Why is he looking at this?_

This didn't look promising.

'Read it," Kane ordered, tangling one hand in her hair. 'Starting from here," a thick finger indicated a particularly heated scene of the two of them sharing a 'passionate kiss'. Ignoring the protests in her head, Ravenna reluctantly began, her cheeks burning as the author described herself and Kane engaging in acts that would make even an experienced porn star take notes. Ravenna almost slung the computer clear across the room when it got to her giving Kane a blow job, the food from earlier coming up in her throat. _Seriously, who thinks this stuff up?! _Ravenna contemplated changing her name and leaving the country. This was just ridiculous.

Thankfully, the author must have thought she would read this eventually when he/she wrote this and took pity on Ravenna, ending the story soon after the 'relationship between both was finally consummated'. Ravenna handed the computer back to Kane, looking the other way when he shut it down and closed the lid. Kane studied her for several long moments, amused at the look of disgust and shock on Ravenna's face.

'I'll be completely honest," Ravenna murmured, barely audible. 'Whoever wrote that is going to be in serious trouble when I find them." Kane laughed darkly.

'Why is that?" he whispered in her ear, wrapping both arms around her. Ravenna's blood ran cold. _You have got to be kidding me, _she thought in shock, unable to move. _You can't tell me that he actually _LIKED _that. _Dark eyes looked at that malicious smile of Kane's, torn between smacking him or beating him to death with the computer. Maybe both. Ravenna couldn't think up a good answer, so she just shrugged. Kane thankfully let the matter drop and simply held her like this. Somewhere during such, Ravenna's mind reminded her of the reason she'd come in here in the first place. She started to bring it up, but Kane interrupted her.

'You do like me, don't you Ravenna?" Kane asked suddenly, catching Ravenna off guard. It was looking like he was going to bring up that particular topic for her. At least Ravenna wouldn't have to worry about sounding funny. 'Do you?" She glanced at him, shocked by the emotion she saw in his eyes. He sounded almost desperate to hear her say she did...

'Yes," she whispered, kicking herself. Kane smiled and kissed her forehead.

'I knew you did," he answered, looking down at her necklace and fingering the delicate petals of the rose. 'You're wearing the necklace I gave you." Ravenna glanced down and touched it as well, her fingers brushing against Kane's and a bolt of electricity ran through her arm at the contact.

'It's beautiful..." she replied, hesitated, and then added, 'Thank you." Kane looked like he hadn't heard anyone say that to him in a long time. Ravenna met his gaze then looked away shyly. 'You... had something engraved on the back of it." Kane didn't answer her, only took one of her hands and threaded their fingers together, marveling at their differences in size. She sucked in her lips and moistened them then continued.

'You said... 'I love you' on the back," Ravenna continued, working her way to the question she was going to ask next. 'Did you... mean it?" Kane looked into her inquiring gaze at her words, his smile long gone.

'Why do you want to know?" he questioned, voice deathly low. Ravenna ignored the chills that went down her spine at the change in his demeanor. _Choose your next words very carefully, _his eyes seemed to say. Ravenna took a breath.

'Because- Because no one else has told me that before." That was true in a sense, with her family as an exception of course. Kane blinked and released her necklace, sitting back to observe Ravenna.

'Have you ever heard me lie, Ravenna," Kane wasn't asking. He was demanding. Ravenna shook her head. 'Answer me."

'No," she muttered, what courage she had in the beginning rapidly disappearing. Kane grabbed her chin roughly, all gentleness and tenderness having fled.

'If I've never lied to you, then why ask me if I meant it?" _Haven't you already asked me that? _Ravenna glanced away only to have her head jerked back towards his face.

'I told you, you're the only one who's actually told me." Ravenna blurted out. _And you're the only one that's made me feel so conflicted all the time, _she wanted to say. But no, that would come later. Right now, she was looking for the truth. At this rate, it was looking like Ravenna was going to be lucky to get just that.

Kane glared at her, staring deep into her eyes like he didn't believe her. She was a hard one to read, but he was certain she was lying, trying to win his sympathy again. That or Ravenna was trying to take advantage of him, just like the others. So he was more than surprised when he didn't see any signs of trickery in those dark eyes.

Slowly, he let go of her, his gaze softening. Ravenna cocked her head slightly, clearly confused. A puff of air was expelled from him, wafting over her face and moving her hair gently.

'Even if I tell you, it won't change anything." Kane admitted. 'You'll leave me, eventually. You'll go right back to your brother the first chance you get." Ravenna stared up at him, not believing what she was hearing. Despite herself, she couldn't help but feel a tinge- _just _a tinge- of pity for Kane. Somewhere deep inside herself, Ravenna felt something else, something she thought long dead well up inside her. As she looked into his eyes, Ravenna saw the hurt in them, just as she had heard the hurt in his voice.

Ravenna looked down uncomfortably, unsure what to say in response. She would never openly admit it, but Kane had a point. After all, that was what she wanted. But after hearing him say that so plainly... Was she actually thinking twice about leaving?

All the while, Kane continued to stare at her, reading her reaction to such. He slipped a hand under her chin and raised her head to look at her, noting that Ravenna refused to meet his eyes. That same hand caressed her face for a fleeting second before dropping down to her necklace once again, fingers grazing the soft skin of her neck.

Ravenna trembled at that touch, but did not look at Kane. This had proved to be a fruitless endeavor. She'd noticed how he felt too late, Ravenna concluded. This proclamation of love on the necklace was probably nothing more than a-

'I didn't lie to you," Kane suddenly said, and she wondered if he read her mind. Ravenna glanced up at him questionably. He applied gentle pressure to her necklace, just enough that it pressed into her neck. 'This wasn't a lie, Ravenna." She didn't say a word in response, only stared up at him with confliction written on her face. _He loves me, _she thought. _But would he still love me... if he saw what no one else has? _She was silent for a long second, considering her next move and deciding that now was as good a time as any to do what she hadn't done for anyone. Ravenna only hoped that what Jazz had told her about his wearing a mask in the past to hide his scars were true and that this wouldn't come back to haunt her.

'If you love me, then there is something you need to know about me." she began, her voice wavering. 'There's something that you have to see... but you can't speak about it to anyone, not Paul, not Big Show, not even your brother. You have to forget that I ever showed you." Now it was Kane's turn to cock his head in confusion. Ravenna closed her eyes and raised a hand to her face, feeling for the pins that held the face covering in place. When the bottom pins were free, she moved to the last ones that held it in place at her hairline. Memories of when he removed his mask, revealing his face to the world, flashed in Kane's head upon realizing what she was doing. That expression of fear and trepidation that he too had...

'No," he said, grabbing her hand to stop her. 'Don't. Don't do this to yourself," he said, drawing her right into his chest. 'Don't do this for me." He held her tightly, taking care not to obscure the veil. To Kane's surprise, Ravenna pulled away and shook her head.

'I have to," she said. 'If I don't-" Kane silenced her again by pulling her back against him, stroking her hair.

'Don't put yourself through that sort of pain," he growled, embracing her harder.

'Kane, please..." she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. 'You, of all people, deserve to know what I'm hiding. If you love me... you deserve to know why I hide my face. You have to know..." Ravenna pulled back from him again, taking hold of the pins and undid them, letting her veil fall between herself and Kane. She closed her eyes, refusing to look in his eyes at the revulsion that she knew would be there.

'If you think any differently of me now, I'll understand." she whispered. Her words had largely gone over Kane's head as he stared at her in shock, unable to voice a single word. _This _was what she had been hiding?

'Ravenna..." he managed, raising a hand to touch her face. She flinched at the contact, tears spilling down her cheeks. Kane hesitated next time, then touched them again, tracing them carefully and gently.

'What happened?" he asked, keeping his voice low. Ravenna didn't answer him for a long, long time.

'When I was a little girl, I woke up in the middle of the night hearing my mother screaming. My brothers weren't home, so I went downstairs to check on her in case she was hurt. For some reason, she was in the basement of our house, begging for someone to stop hurting her. I ran to help her... but someone heard me coming and grabbed me from behind. The next thing I knew, a dark shadow was standing over me, beating me to the floor until I was screaming for them to stop too...

'I must have passed out because I woke up tied down to a bed. From the corner, I saw my mother crying. I asked her what was going on, why was I tied up, what did I do wrong. And then she shook her head and looked over me. The next thing I see is a razorblade held over a lighter with someone glaring down at me.

' "You should never have come down here," they said. "I'm going to show you what happens to women who don't know how to keep their noses out of places they don't need to be stuck." Then... then it started... cutting my face with the razorblade, over and over again until I was screaming louder, screaming for Rowan to help me, screaming for my mother to make him stop..." Ravenna stopped as soon as she said _him_, having come dangerously close to saying too much. Kane continued to stroke her scarred cheek, his expression infinitely understanding. It turned out that Paul was more than right about Ravenna being better suited for him... like Kane, she had been tortured. She'd been scarred by people who were supposed to help and protect her from danger, not to inflict pain and suffering upon her.

He suddenly wanted to know who was responsible for this.

'Like I said... if it changes how you feel about me, then I won't try to change your mind. You can get rid of me at anytime... I know you don't want a girl with a scarred face." Kane blinked at her words. How often had he said that to himself, that no one would want someone with a scarred face? The more he looked at her, the more of himself he saw. For an instant, she wasn't just another tool or instrument to use against others. No, she was something more...

'You're beautiful, Ravenna," he murmured. The young woman sitting before him opened her eyes and looked up at him. Even with tears in her eyes and scars on her face, she was still beautiful, with or without the veil.

'What?" she asked, hardly daring to believe what she was hearing. Kane captured her face in both hands and leaned his forehead against her.

'I'm not getting rid of you. Your scars are beautiful, Ravenna. **You **are beautiful. And even if you didn't have them... **You**. **Are**. **Mine**." Kane vowed fiercely, stroking her hair from her face. Ravenna stared into his eyes, bringing her hands to his face. The room felt several degrees hotter as an unfamiliar heat filled her belly and spread over her body. A slight flush tinted her normally translucent skin pink, and a small smile came to her face even as more tears flowed down her cheeks. These foreign feelings only got stronger as she found herself suddenly straddling his legs. Seated as he was, Kane was still taller than Ravenna by a half foot or more. His eyes had taken on a strange look that Ravenna had no real name for, but she sensed that maybe her own orbs held that same look. She couldn't have fought the strong arms that were snaking around her waist even if Ravenna tried, gasping when he pulled her closer.

'I love you," he murmured, giving Ravenna only a brief second to draw a shaky breath before his lips descended onto hers. A scared, but muffled, sound escaped Ravenna as she struggled momentarily, then relaxing bit by bit while his lips caressed hers. Involuntarily, Ravenna's own lips brushed against his drawing an approving rumble from the giant before her. _He doesn't think I'm ugly... he called me beautiful, _Ravenna thought, puzzled at the new emotions flooding her body and doing something to her heart that made it warmer. Confused yet unwilling to lose this moment, Ravenna hesitantly brought her arms up to wrap around his neck, pulling him closer to her.

Kane made a sound, but didn't move to stop her. He moaned against her mouth as those long fingers of Ravenna's trailed down his neck, tracing the strong muscles built up over the years from weight lifting and wrestling. He continued to kiss her like this, introducing his tongue into the mix after hers darted out to touch his lower lip. Ravenna froze when it slipped into her mouth, encouraging hers to do the same to him. Gaining some confidence, she reluctantly did the same, her tongue delving into the warm recesses of Kane's mouth, momentarily frightened that he would be angry at her boldness.

In all truths, however, the exact opposite occurred. Kane groaned, making his pleasure known. Not realizing such, Ravenna's body seemed to have taken on a life of its own, her hips grinding against Kane's. In response, Kane's hands fell to her hips, urging her to continue. Her breasts rubbed against his chest, eliciting a loud moan from Ravenna when her hard nipples grazed against him, the fabric of her t-shirt almost painful against them.

This continued on for a moment until Kane finally broke the kiss, albeit unenthusiastically. A thin string of saliva hung between their lips, their breathing harsh and erratic. As her hips came to a gradual stop against that hard bulge beneath her, Ravenna opened her eyes slowly, a glazed look having overtaken them. Kane pulled her against him, pressing her head to his chest to listen to his heartbeat. It was strange... she thought for a moment that it beat perfectly synchronized with her own.

'Paul's coming home soon," he muttered scornfully after a minute, stroking her hair obsessively. Ravenna wasn't sure if he meant for her to answer him. 'He doesn't like you're so close to me." He hugged her a little tighter. 'He might send you back downstairs in the basement to keep us apart until we go back to work. But I won't let that happen." Kane smoothed her hair from the right side of her face and left a small kiss to rest on her cheek. Ravenna trembled at the contact and the fierceness in his voice.

Her mind considered this new development carefully, assessing what it was she was feeling. She'd asked Rowan on more than one occasion what love was and what it felt like, in the event she ever felt it. In his words, it manifested as a warmness in the heart and filled someone with an unbelievable sense of peace. Ravenna blinked. She was definitely feeling the warmth, but that could be from the heat of Kane's kiss. _Come on! Be serious, _her mind yelled. OK_, check off warmth. What about peace? _That wasn't... alright, maybe there was a bit of peace that had surrounded her. That and contentment.

Oh. My. God.

Ravenna's eyes widened as she came to the conclusion of the feeling, comparing it to words from all three of her brothers and her sister in laws. _It... can't be possible._

'Kane," she said, meaning to ask him about it.

'Shh," he replied, stroking her hair. 'Don't talk, precious. You're mine. That's all that matters." Ravenna wanted to finish what she had began to say, but closed her mouth. Sure, talking was good on occasion, but sometimes it was best to let actions speak. So she stretched up her neck and kissed his cheek, settling back against him. The words that had been on the tip of her tongue faded away like a distant memory as sleep overcame her. Instead, new words formed, ones that quieted her conflictions and wrapped her in a blanket of peace...

_ I love you too._

* * *

**Author's Note**: Ok... so this wasn't how I planned out the chapter, but I felt that it was time to start showing a development in Kane and Ravenna's relationship as well as for her to take off her face covering. As I said before, his appearing briefly out of character is for good reason. He'll be back at the sadistic/twisted/disturbed/sexy as hell villain before you know it.

The next chapter is going to bring back Rowan and Cody into the mix. I've been neglecting them, I know ^^;


	15. Important Author's Note (2)

**Important Author's Note (2)**

Before I get around to posting the next chapters, I just want to address something that has been going on here for quite sometime. I won't be naming any names to protect the privacy of the parties involved. Use your own discretion while reading as this can get a little over the top.

_Women veterans are entitled to the same services as male veterans which includes, but is not limited to, counseling, reproductive health, and mental health care._

_ -Excerpt from __Federal Benefits for Veterans: Dependents and Survivors_

The above statement is an example of something that I do quite a bit when writing for school: referencing. Notice how I clearly state that it is an _excerpt _and which book it is from. In doing so, I am giving credit to the original author and claim no ownership over the content. Now I'm going to use another example that will lead to the main point in this mini-rant.

_The air was stale and the floor was cold and damp when eyes of the darkest charcoal gray opened. A low groan of pain escaped full lips as the lone occupant of the room stirred from an unexpected slumber. Slowly, very slowly, the young one sat up on her knees, rubbing her eyes tiredly. How long had she been out? Her sigh seemed to echo throughout the quiet darkness as she stretched out her pale arms, yawning loudly. As her hands reached heavenward, they came into contact with something cold and metal._

(For the record, this is an excerpt from one of my own stories. I'm using it as an example. Please do not reuse it without my permission.) Suppose this were to be posted on this site and someone thought it would be good to use in their own story. Only instead of giving the original author credit, in this case me, they chose to use it and pass it off as their own. That is called _plagiarism_, or stealing excerpts from writings without giving the original author credit. But it doesn't have to be writing; it can be music, art, and yes, even movies.

If there is one thing that gets under my skin, it's plagiarism. It gets my blood boiling so bad to see someone steal another person's hard work and use it at their leisure without ever asking permission from the author! Seriously? Are you that desperate for ideas that you feel the need to steal the work of another?

Sadly, it is this that I am seeing on happening to a very sweet girl who wrote absolutely amazing stories for the Wrestling category. Many know who I am talking about, some of you do not. I won't disclose her name because I don't want to see her have to deal with anymore crappery from what I will also call 'lurkers'. One particular lurker has hit her twice already. Now she is being backed into a corner because of this and has made the decision to remove all her stories in an attempt to protect her work. But even after she has done this, a number of things from her stories have appeared in the said lurkers' work. Before anything is said, I would like to point out that I have done the proper research and have found proof to back this up.

What I really wanna say is this: really? Like really? Is this what it's all coming down to?

As a community of writers, it is our job to support one another and offer help to others who are struggling with writer's block or maybe are just getting started in writing. But above all, we're here to have **fun. ****We** **are****not** here to steal each others work just for the sake of getting more reviews and favorites. At the end of the day, those are just numbers. Sure, people are enjoying the story and the author the attention, but what about the writers that are essentially getting ripped off? It's not fair to them to have to watch their backs every day due to the worry of being a victim to plagiarism or to see someone get all the credit for something they've worked on day and night!

Another thing that I am sick of seeing is people who have so many typos it's ridiculous in their story. It's OK if you have a few; I know my stories have some in there. But every single word in every sentence and paragraph? That's going too far. Not only that, but these stories **SURPRISINGLY **get a crap-load of reviews for it! And the author doesn't even take a hint! If a dozen people are telling you that you have too many mistakes, you have too many mistakes! Have a little pride in your work, guys. Does it hurt to run a spell check every once in awhile to make sure everything is OK? And for God's sake, **STOP **with the chewing out of those who are just trying to help you out! Reviews are an opportunity for someone to give you constructive criticism or helpful opinions to get you to do better! Apparently though, reviews that are calling out these writers are seen as personal attacks.

Dear Lord, please help me to refrain from taking a sharpie to my computer screen and correcting typos as I go!

Now I will say this in closing; I've already said I hate plagiarism in all shapes and forms. If I **ever** see mine or anyone else' work used without permission in another story, I **will** report those responsible to the site administrator. And that goes for **everyone**, regardless of whether or not you are my friend off or on this site. There is absolutely no excuse for the blatant disregard for someone's hard work in an attempt to win popularity on this site. Again, we're here to write for _fun_, not for reviews. And if that makes me a target, then come at me bro! I'll gladly go to war with you!

Now that that's out of the way, the revised chapters of _Sins of the Brother_ will hopefully be posted tonight or tomorrow depending on how late it is after class today (Been studying for my finals. This is going to be hell!)


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